And When It Rains
by Sisi427
Summary: After a disturbing phone call to the Vice Commander, Gintoki, and Hijikata find that their friend has committed seppuku. Will she recover? And if she does, what condition will she be in after the traumatic battle with her sister? This story is a continuation of my OC story "Silver Mist" M for harsh language **Temporary hiatus**
1. Seppuku

After being hung up on by Rein, Hijikata was worried. It wasn't like the woman to not tell him; she always told him what was wrong.  
Any time she really had a problem she would talk to him about it.  
She had told him not to come over, that he couldn't find her new place, but if there was anybody who could, it would be Gintoki.

The Vice Commander was in his car, driving, but he didn't know where he needed to go.  
He tried to call the lazy samurai, but received no answer.  
Silently cursing the man under his breath, he sped through the night and to the Yorozura.

When he arrived he didn't want to wait at the door, there wasn't enough time.  
Something was wrong. But he still knocked, feverishly at that.  
"Hijikata-San! What are-"  
Shinpachi answered the door, with a calm smile, and Hijikata pushed passed the boy without a word.  
"Gintoki!" Normally he wouldn't call the man by name, but this was no time for joking around.

The silver haired samurai laid on the couch, staring at the TV.  
He lazily turned to face the Vice Commander, donning a dead pan expression, and picking his nose.

"Oi- Oogushi-Kun. What are you doin-"  
"Have you seen Rein?" Hijikata demanded the information, and the room fell silent. All eyes were on him, and Gintoki frowned.  
"No. Why would I care?" Flicking a booger away Gintoki returned his attention to the TV.  
Sighing in frustration Hijikata shook his head.  
"Damn it- This is serious, stop staring at the fucking TV! Where's your phone?! I _tried_ to call you!"

Curious as to what the hell Hijikata was talking about, Gintoki pulled his phone from his pocket.  
"Oh... I must of sat on it. It turned off..." The man held the button down and soon an annoying tune filled the air.  
Hijikata sighed again and pulled a cigarette from his coat.  
"What's wrong Mayora-San? Are you going to arrest Rein-San? -Aru" Kagura walked out of the kitchen, holding a pink bottle in one of her hands.  
"No! It's-"  
"OI BRAT THAT'S MINE!" Gintoki jumped to his feet, and rushed to Kagura's side, snatching the milk form her hands.  
"Aww, but Gin-Chan! I-"

"Damn it, you two!" Hijikata interrupted. They peered at him, both frowning in confusion.  
Soon, Gintoki's phone started to ring, repeating the same tune three times in a row the last overlapping the first.  
He shifted his attention to it, and held it up.  
The screen read "3 missed calls" and when he checked, sure enough the two before Hijikata were from Rein.

He frowned up at the vice commander who was calmly smoking a cigarette, gazing off to the side, seemingly lost in thought.  
Kagura peered at the screen of Gintoki's phone, and mirrored the man's expression, frowning at Hijikata.  
"Is Eyebrow-San okay? Aru."  
Hijikata shook his head slowly.  
"I- I don't think so... She sounded like she was crying... Her words were slurred, I think she was injured..."  
Hijikata locked his eyes to Gintoki's in an intense stare.

"What did she say?" Shinpachi asked. Some how the boy had managed to stand between the men without them noticing.  
Maybe because he was so short...  
"She said something about her sister..."

Gintoki's eyes widened, and he seemed to be stunned by the words.  
"But she really didn't say much else... Not anything I could understand..."  
Kagura and Shinpachi glanced up and Gintoki, and Hijikata shifted his gaze before continuing.  
"Said she was at her place... But what worries me is what she said at the end of the call... She said 'I cant take it'"

* * *

It didn't take long before Gintoki decided to go with Hijikata.  
He said it would be easier to show him then tell him, but it was obvious that he was worried.  
When they arrived at the loft,they knocked, yet received no answer. The door was locked. Figures.  
Hijikata examined the warehouse, asking Gintoki if he was sure it was right.  
"Of course I'm sure, dumb ass!" Gintoki snapped the words, and Hijikata rolled his eyes.  
"Guess it fits her, not much different from where we found her in the first place..."  
He remarked, and Gintoki glanced at him before starting down the dark ally on the right of the building.  
"Where are you going?" Hijikata asked, but the man didn't respond.

He led Hijikata to the windows in the back of the building.  
Staring at Gintoki, the man followed him up a large cement step and to the two round windows.  
"This thing has a latch on it... How the fuck to do you open it..?" Gintoki stared at the metal hook for a second before sighing loudly.  
Using his fist, he shattered the thin glass, some how managing to only receive a few scrapes.  
He wasted no time in climbing through the opening ahead of Hijikata. As Hijikata was about to enter behind him, he heard Gintoki gasp.

"R- Rein... Damn it! Fuck! REIN!"  
Loud footsteps signaled that Gintoki was rushing. Not a good sign.

Knowing that this was gonna be bad, the Vice Commander proceeded through the opening Gintoki had created.  
The moment Hijikata moved the black curtain from his view, he understood what was going on.  
"You can't leave me! Wh- What the fuck?!"  
Gintoki sat on the floor, in the middle of a large pool of blood, holding an undeniably limp body.  
"Shit..." Hijikata muttered the word, slowly walking to the samurai's side. He had seen this sort of thing too many times.  
Soft muffled sobs filled the room, and Hijikata shifted his gaze, as Gintoki proceeded to kiss and squeeze the woman on the ground.  
"Calm down Yorozura..."  
Gintoki didn't even turn to face him, or acknowledge the fact that he had heard him.  
Hijikata walked around the two, stepping through the puddle and over Rein's legs.  
The woman looked as though she was sleeping, holding no expression whatsoever. Almost too peaceful.  
Her black hair was matted to her cheek by crimson, which had started to drip away.  
Though one side of her face was completely red, there was one thing Hijikata was sure of; under her eyes were smudged red; definitely crying.  
He observed the scene, raising a cigarette to his lips.  
An obscure silver briefcase laid by the door. Three notes on the table...  
She was covered in blood, and her Yukata was cut across the chest cleanly- probably from a sword.  
Despite all of the cuts and wounds which appeared to be from a fight, the set up of the scene was undeniable.

Drops of blood led from the door, to the couch, and then led to this.  
She had come in, sat down, written three notes, and commenced a ritual without any witnesses.  
She had three swords with her, one appearing to be the one she wouldn't release when he first met her- her master's, which had been stolen.  
It was now covered in blood. But not like the other two.  
"Seppuku..." Gintoki whispered.  
Kneeling down in front of the man, Hijikata nodded solemnly.  
He grabbed her wrist, and Gintoki didn't even look at him. Just held the woman against himself, gazing off into nothingness.  
The Yorozura's hands and face were smeared with blood, and his white Yukata was quickly growing dark.  
"She- She's got a pulse... It's faint... But still there. She's not dead, Yorozura..."  
Gintoki gazed up at him still not moving.  
"There's a note for you on the table..." Hijikata stated in a low tone, and Gintoki glanced in the direction of the papers.

"Come on, we need to get her to the hospital..."  
Standing up Hijikata, walked to the table, and grabbed the three notes; one to him, one to Gintoki, and one to somebody named Bansai.  
He also grabbed her phone, and keys, which were sitting on the table as well.  
Gintoki lifted Rein, bridal style, sniffling loudly. One of her arms hung, and scarlet dripped from her fingertips and her yukata to the pool below.  
Without a word, the men left.

* * *

**A/N: The story continues! *Evil laughter***  
**Soo- I gotta give credit to the lovely Noniebee for helping plan this! :D**  
**She was an immense amount of help- already had most of this thought up. (Dialogue too!)**  
**If you liked this, you should check out her story- it's called "Reuniting With The Lost", and "Reuniting Makes New Beginnings"**  
**(8747858) & (9130939) It's got a really great plot, and good humor. :)**

**To all of you readers who don't have accounts, remember, you can still comment. I appreciate all feedback :3**


	2. Last Words?

"Damage to the lower intestine... Massive blood loss... Stab wounds to the hip, and thigh...  
An extensive amount of cuts, the major being across the chest, and her right arm... She-"  
"Damn it- Is there anything good? Tell me something good about her!"  
Gintoki couldn't held but snap the words at the head nurse, and Hijikata placed a hand on his shoulder, noting that the man had grown increasingly agitated.  
"Well, she appears to have 20/20 Vision." The woman stated flatly, looking at some charts.

"Vision? Damn it- I didn't-" Cutting Gintoki off, Hijikata stepped towards the woman, frowning.  
"Vision? How did you check her vision? Did she wake up?"

The woman nodded slowly, seemingly uninterested, fully immersed in her chart.  
"Yeah. But we put her back to sleep. She was delusional. Asking for silver, or time or something. She said something about years too. Huh."

Gintoki and Hijikata glanced at each other, both donning equally annoyed expression.  
Toshi meant years. Gin meant silver, and Toki was related to time.

"She said our names and you didn't even tell us?!" Gintoki barked, and the woman peered up at them.  
"Don't get so full of yourself." With that she walked back into the room, and out of sight.

Loudly sighing in unison, Gintoki and Hijikata sat down together on a small waiting bench.  
Any nurses of doctors who passed eyed them oddly, probably due to them being smeared with blood.  
There would have to be something else to hear about Rein.  
The Vice-Commander reached into his pocket, and pulled out the notes he had folded up.  
"Here." He causally extended Gintoki's towards the man and Gin took it, staring at the paper curiously.  
Noticing the third note, Gintoki pointed at it.  
"Oi... Who's is that?"  
"Someone named Bansai." Hijikata stated, not seeming to know who it was.  
Gintoki scowled and snatched Kawakami's note away. Frowning in confusion, Hijikata glanced at him for a second before opening his note.

He pulled a cigarette from his coat, and Gintoki nudged him.  
"You can't smoke in here!"  
"Yes... I can."  
Hijikata stated in a low voice, only pausing to light said, the men opened their notes, and read the words their friend had scribbled down, in surprisingly neat hand writing.

Hijikata's was more focused on what happened.  
She had written down the details of her fight with Chizuru, starting with "I know you'll probably the one to find me- so let me explain...".  
She further stated that her sister wasn't actually being evil out of spite, but guilt.  
Wrote the address he could find her, and expressed her appreciation for him being such a good friend.  
Asked him to watch Jun grow up, because she hadn't seen the kid in so long, and only trusted Hijikata to do so.  
"So do your job, Daddy" She sarcastically mused, and he could almost see the slight smirk she had probably held when she wrote the words.  
In the end, she claimed that it was too much to bear; the guilt of killing her own sister, and that she had shamed herself.  
Both of the letters had small smudges of blood which looked as though they had bee wiped away, only adding to the morose air about the men.

Gintoki's note didn't have details of her confrontation with Chizuru. It was mostly an apology, for killing in front of him, and not listening.  
Rein wrote that she loved him, and that didn't blame him for disliking her work.  
But the main thing that caught his eyes were the words "You were right...".  
Gintoki immediately started to feel guilty, about giving her so much trouble about killing, wishing that he had been more lax with her.  
She called him an idiot, for never being around when something serious was happening, and claimed that this wasn't the first time he had disappeared on her.  
What really got him was the fact that she had written that he seemed better suited for Tsukuyo.  
What the fuck. Angered he folded the note back and peered at Hijikata.

"She wrote her last name..." The vice commander stated, holding Gintoki's gaze. The samurai nodded, and crossed his arms, scowling.  
"What did yours say?" He asked, not wanting to think of his.  
Opening the paper, Hijikata glanced over the words.

"She killed her sister. But she didn't mean to... The woman dragged herself down on her sword, and they had a few words with each other.  
Turns out her sister felt like their parent's death was her fault, and was trying to get herself killed the whole time. Left Rein with the burden...  
It was just too much. Chizuru knew about their past the whole time, she was older. Rein told me where to find her, and said to bury them together...  
Apparently she has a stash of jewelry at her loft, says it'll cover the costs, and to split the rest between us..."

Gintoki's eyes widened, and he stared at Hijikata's note frowning.  
"Why'd she write so much to you?! She didn't write that much to me!"  
Shaking his head, Hijikata stood up.  
"Our relationship wasn't like yours... Sometimes it's harder to tell the people you love."  
The Vice commander started away, clenching his cigarette in his teeth, but glanced at Gintoki over his shoulder.  
"Take care of that other note, will ya? I got a body to find..." He gave a slight wave over his shoulder, before shoving his hands into his pockets, and leaving Gintoki alone.

* * *

Gintoki remained in place for almost half an hour, staring at the note to Bansai which was placed across his lap.  
'Kawakami, huh?' He had to read it... Had to know what she would say to the man.  
Glancing around the white halls, Gintoki checked to see if anybody was around to catch him- as if they would know.  
He pulled the note open, and read the words carefully, curious as to what Rein's relationship was with Kawakami.  
It stated appreciation, and light notions of fondness; even going so far as to say the man was a really good kisser.  
He knew it! What the fuck! If she wasn't already dying he would shove this note in her face, and kill her.  
But since she was, he kept reading. Good friend, despite all of the crap with Takasugi...  
Explaining about Chizuru, and her decision to commit Seppuku. Apologized` for not calling him, or Matako, and asked him to tell Tsu.  
Rein lightly mused that she should have gone to him for her injuries, but she hadn't been thinking right.  
That if she had she probably would have been sleeping the same as last time. What was last time..? WHAT THE FUCK WAS LAST TIME?!  
No, No, WHEN was this last time she spoke of?!

Internally groaning in a combination of anger, jealousy, and regret, Gintoki leaned back in his seat. He had to deliver the message.  
If he didn't it would be obvious. How could he deny her deathbed wishes? Though he hated the thought of it, he knew he had to. Shit.  
He would find the address and just mail it, or something. It wasn't a good idea to see Kawakami right now. Not at all.  
Not. At. All.

The door beside him flung open, and three nurses dashed from the room, all running down the hallway.  
Wide eyed, Gintoki stood up, holding the notes in one hand.  
"Oi! OI! What's happening?!"  
They didn't say anything, just rushed into some room, and then came, flying down the hall with some sort of medical equipment and a machine.  
"HEY! What's-"  
"Sir- you need to stay calm. Just leave this to us- Go home or something!" One of the women commanded,rushing into the room.  
"Sempai, just tell him! She just died... Only for a moment though, it's okay- she's fine, just go rest, sir..." A second woman stated, offering a small supportive smile.  
The third nurse hadn't bothered to speak, just dragged the machine in the room, along with the trays of supplies.

Shifting his gaze, Gintoki slowly nodded. He would return- after he delivered Rein's letter.


	3. Surprise Visitor

Two weeks passed. Every day Gintoki stopped by the hospital, but Rein still hadn't woken up yet.  
He didn't know what to do- how to act. He had delivered her letter to Kawakami, obviously not face-to-face, and returned in the middle of the day.  
The nurses had told him Rein was stable, urged him to rest. But he couldn't. The last time he had spoken to her it was an argument.  
He had told her to leave, and avoided her for three days. At times he would try to talk to her, or grab her hand.  
The woman's heart rate would spike, but she never woke up.  
Even when he tried to make her look at the pictures of his weekly JUMP book. Never.

The Yorozura had crossed his arms, and fallen asleep in the chair perched against the wall facing her bed.  
It wasn't until the door opened that he woke up; and he wasn't happy.  
He lazily opened his eyes, only to snap awake and stare at her visitor in shock.  
"What are you doing here?!" He demanded, as Takasugi walked into the room, scowling.  
Locking his eye to Gintoki's, the man donned a creepy grin.  
"I've come to visit." He stated, moving towards Rein's side, shifting his attention to the woman.  
Gintoki frowned in confusion as his enemy pushed a raven lock away from Rein's face.  
"The hell do you think you're doing?! Don't touch her!"  
Jumping to his feet, Gintoki clenched his fists, not caring that his jump had fallen from his lap.

The heart meter continued to beep with an increasing pace.  
Takasugi leaned over Rein, studying her expression.  
"You know, there are a lot of Senshingumi hanging around here... Why even risk it?"  
Walking to the foot of the bed Gintoki crossed his arms watching Takasugi's every movement.

The one eyed man peered at him over his shoulder, glaring at the Yorozura.  
"I had to... She was the only one who..." Sighing loudly he shook his head.  
"You wouldn't understand... She treated me like a human... Nothing more, nothing less."

He turned back to Rein, and slowly leaned towards her, as if he would capture her lips.  
Enraged Gintoki rushed to him, and snatched him away from the woman.  
He wrapped his fists in Takasugi's yukata, moving too quickly for the man to reciprocate. Kill mode activated.

Gintoki slammed Takasugi into the wall, sending medical supplies and a small table clattering to the floor, and out of the way.  
The heart monitor started to spike at a ridiculous pace, but there was no sign of motion from Rein. Still sleeping...  
_"Don't fucking touch her, you son of a bitch..." _The Yorozura growled the words, holding Takasugi in place.

Their movement stopped, and they glared at one another, neither willing to be the first to look away.  
"If you think for a second that-" Gintoki's words were cut off by the door opening.

"What are you doing in here?! You can't fight so close to her, not in this state! Get out! GET OUT!"  
A nurse started to yell at them, and two men came in, pulling Gintoki away from Takasugi.  
They continued to glare at each other, neither responding to the hospital staff, or moving.  
The men started to usher them away. As they were leaving, there was movement.  
A low groan, and shift of weight in the bed, and everything stopped.  
Everybody turned to look at Rein, doctors, nurses, Gintoki, and Takasugi.  
One of the doctors walked to her side, studying her. The man peered at her heart rate which was still beating rapidly.

When she didn't move again everybody left.

Gintoki rode his scooter back to the Yorozura, completely infuriated.  
Being kicked out of the hospital because some creep tried to kiss his girlfriend. What the fuck.  
Hijikata had told the staff that Gintoki was the person who knew her, and informed them of her lack of family.  
The vice commander had also found Chizuru's body, and arranged a funeral with Rein's money, but he didn't take any.  
Both men agreed to fix Rein's window, have the blood cleaned and store her money at her loft.  
When she woke up, she could return as if nothing had ever happened... To a certain degree.

* * *

**A/N: Hi everybody**  
**Thank you for the comments, I'm glad to be writing this story still :3**  
**Relieved that you don't mind it being so long! Haha**  
**But I have a question for you today! **  
**Would you prefer me to continue the story in third person, or keep it in first when Rein wakes up?**  
**Either way, it wont change the outcome, but in third there will be more detail (other people's feelings, and scenery), and in first, well, you've read first. **  
**It's more opinion oriented.**  
**I've already written Rein's first appearance back; it's in third, because the rest of that chapter was. **  
**But before I continue, I wanted your opinions :D**  
**That's all! **  
**As always, I appreciate the fact that you've taken the time to read my story. **  
**Hope all is well in your world- The real one that is :)**


	4. Fluff To Break The Depression

When Gintoki arrived back at his place, he didn't feel like walking up the stairs.  
He went straight into Otose's Snack shop, planting himself at the bar.  
The woman seemed startled by his demeanor, and eyed him curiously.  
"Old hag, fix me a drink." He barely even spoke the words, and the elder lady frowned, raising her cigarette to her lips  
"Mind your manners, you stupid-"  
"Catherine... Stop." Otose interrupted, not even glancing at the homely cat woman.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the fuck author woman?! You're just gonna-"  
"Catherine, stop." I instructed in the tone Otose had used.  
The woman crossed her arms glaring at the horrible author who had just put herself in the room with the bunch.

Without a word, Otose placed a glass in front of Gintoki, and poured him a shot.  
He downed it in one breath, and extended the cup towards her for more.  
The man's head was hung, and Catherine walked out of the room like the moody feline creeper she is.  
"What's wrong Gintoki?" Otose refilled his glass as she spoke, and he shifted his gaze.  
"Gintoki-Sama."  
The man didn't move as the android walked to his side, holding a broom.  
"I'm detecting some form of depression surrounding you. Are you alright?"

The man glanced at her for a moment before downing his second shot.  
"Slow down, Gintoki- It can't be that bad..." Otose stated in a soothing tone.  
It was obvious that he was deeply distressed, but what caused it remained a mystery.  
Moments later, Kagura walked into the bar, followed by Shinpachi.  
"Gin-Chan! We knew you'd be here! Aru"  
"I live here." The man stated uninterested in conversing at the moment.  
Why was everybody crowding around him? What the hell was wrong with them? He just wanted to be alone- to drink in peace.  
"We heard you come back, but when you didn't come upstairs..."  
Seeing the mood his boss was in Shinpachi shifted his attention to the small pink carton in his hand.  
"I bought you some strawberry milk." He informed, trying to sound cheerful.

Gintoki didn't move. He didn't look at the kids at the door, or anybody else. He stared at his glass, wishing the old hag had refilled it.  
"I don't want it."

Everybody gasped, leaning back from the force of the shock his words had caused.  
Silence fell over the room, as they stared at the man.  
He extended his cup to Otose, who was staring at him wide eyed, just like everybody else.  
Before she could regain her composure Kagura had run to the man's side, and wrapped her arms around him.  
She shook him back and forth, yelling "Gin-Chan! Don't die! You've never said that before!"  
"What's wrong with him?!" Otose asked, running her eyes over everybody in the room.  
"It's Eyebrow-San!" Kagura exclaimed.  
"Eyebrow-San?" Otose and Tama asked in unison.

"Gin-San's girlfriend." Shinpachi stated, walking to Gintoki's side.  
"GIRLFRIEND?!" Otose asked appearing to be on the verge of a heart attack.  
"Yes- Eyebrow-San is-"  
"STOP SAYING THAT NAME!" Barking the words, Gintoki stood up, and started towards the doors.  
"Gin-San... It's okay..." Shinpachi started, unsure of what else to say.

"No it's not! It's this damn author! Making the perfect character for me, and then pulling some crap like this! She's the one doing this to me!"

"Whoa, Gintoki- There's no need to drop names-" The author commented.  
"SHUT UP DAMN IT!" Not wanting to hear another word from the author, Gintoki continued.  
"But- Gin, she made that decision-"  
"No- you did this. Make your stupid perfect person, who fits into the damn setting of the story- then making her commit seppuku!  
Why the fuck-?! She didn't even do it right?! Women don't do seppuku!" The samurai ranted, and the writer shifted her gaze.  
"Oh, well uh... My research... Didn't do it until after- Erm... Save that for her- She's tough, it was her decision!"  
The author began to disappear, embarrassed that her mistake had been pointed out.  
"Oi! Wait damn it- I'm not done yet!" Though he tried to continue the mysterious writer had vanished into thin air, allowing the story to progress.

"So that's what happened..." Otose sighed, lighting a new cigarette.  
"Gintoki, you've got to be more careful... but if the story is still going, doesn't that mean she's okay?"  
Gintoki glanced up at the older woman in shock. He hadn't thought of that. Stupid. It was obvious.

"OI! Don't try to-"  
To covering up his speech the author began to write more.  
Otose suddenly frowned peering around the room.  
"Hold on, so how long has this thing with the Eyebrow woman been going?"  
"Two stories so far! Aru" Kagura stated, and Otose shook her head.  
"And I haven't even been mentioned until now?! The only lines I've gotten were being nice to that idiot by the door, and these?!" She complained.  
"That damn author! How could she?!"  
"Oi! Idiot?! I'm in pain here, and you're calling me an idiot?!" Gintoki barked, but Otose shook her head again.  
"Nobody cares about your eyebrow! I haven't even made an appearance in over _one hundred_ chapters!"

"Otose-Sama, if it makes you feel any better I have only gotten two lines as well, despite the fact that in the original draft of this story I was supposed to be one of the first ones the Eyebrow lady met."  
The green haired android, Tama, Stated, and everybody nodded. Weird.

Peace was slowly restored in the room, once everybody realized that in the end, Catherine was the one who had received the least time.

Gintoki walked to the bar, and grabbed the bottle of vodka Otose had set on the counter.  
"Old hag, I'm gonna borrow this..." He started away, and Otose scowled.  
"Borrow?! No you aren't! Bring that back! That's going onto your tab, damn it! full price!"  
The man didn't respond as he slid the door closed behind himself.


	5. Welcome Back

Another day trapped within the plain white walls of he hospital. Gintoki peered but of the window, staring at the world below.  
Rein's room was on the third floor, and from where he stood, the world seemed to be moving as per usual. How?  
Was nobody else aware of the fact that there was such an important woman in this sort of condition?  
Sighing loudly, he turned to face Rein. She would occasionally move, and murmur unintelligible nothings, but she hadn't spoken a word today.  
Hadn't made a single sound. A month had passed, and nothing changed.  
The door opened and a nurse walked in. He eyed the woman, who was hidden behind a mask, and blue scrubs.

"Sakata-San... There are a few standard procedures I need to discuss with you today..."  
The woman stared down at a clipboard, and Gintoki nodded to her.  
"So lately, we've been studying Itami-San's reactions to her medicine, and progress in recovery.  
She should have at least woken up by now. Everything is healing properly, but there may be some damage we can't do anything about...  
Her heart rate drops alarmingly low during the night.  
The doctor said if she doesn't wake up in the next few days you might want to consider pulling the plug. There's no guarantee that she will."

The words irritated Gintoki to no end. He stared at her wide eyed, before clenching his teeth.  
"She's gonna be fine! How could you just casually tell me that I should-"  
A small groan interrupted Gintoki, and he peered at Rein over his shoulder.  
The woman turned over in her bed, and worked her head into the pillow.  
"See?" Gintoki asked, sounding harsher then he had intended. The nurse sighed, and left the room without a word.

Moments later, a new nurse walked in, clothed in a small blue dress made of the same scrub material.  
Her hair was tucked away into a white cap, and her face was concealed with a mask.  
She held an unnaturally large needle, the size of a vase, and wore red framed glasses.

"Okay sir, I just need you to step out of the room for a minute while I give Itami-San her medicine."  
Frowning in confusion Gintoki shook his head.  
"She already got her medicine." He stated eying the odd nurse.  
"Oh yes, but this is a new formula! It's supposed to make her instantly better! I'm a professional, trust me!"  
The woman walked to Rein's side, and Gintoki followed her.  
"What are you doing?! You can't give her that much!"

The nurse laughed in a familiar manner, and realization crossed Gintoki.  
"SARUTOBI!" Grabbing the nurse's arm, he pulled her away. In turn, she wrapped her arms around him.  
"Gin-Chan! What are you doing? Not here! Don't do it here!" Maniacal laughter filled the room, and Gintoki grew increasingly annoyed.  
"Damn it! What are you trying to do to Rein?!" Grabbing the back of the insane ninja's shirt, he pulled her towards the window, unlatching the hook. She continued to spaz out and he sighed, pulling the window open.

The woman laughed and rubbed herself all over him, as he lifted her from the ground, and shoved her out of the window.  
'She'll be alright.' He told himself, watching the nut fall. Of course, she was. Crazy never dies.  
Sarutobi caught herself on the side of the building, still laughing.  
"Ohh Gin-Chan! Don't try to-"  
Sliding the window shut, he turned back to Rein. His jaw dropped at the sight of her sitting up, holding her hand to the side of her face.  
"R- Rein! You're awake!" Rushing to her side, Gintoki gripped her hand.

She stared up at him, frowning in confusion.  
"Are you okay? How do you feel?"  
The woman parted her crimson lips, only to find her voice strained.  
"What is it?" He asked, and she placed a hand to her throat, still eying him curiously.

"Rein... You- How could you do that? Do you know how worried I've been?!"  
Suddenly angered, Gintoki didn't bother to save his questions for later.  
"Stupid! And that note you left me! 'You and Tsukuyo seem more fit for one another'?!"  
He raised his voice as he quoted her, and still received no answer. The woman frowned up at him, appearing to be at a loss.  
"I've been here every single day! All because you- You-..."  
Falling silent Gintoki shifted his gaze.  
Most likely it wasn't a good idea to lash out at the woman the moment she awake, but he couldn't help himself.  
He had spent an entire month worrying, and contemplating her words.  
The stress of the hospital staff, and the nurse's words didn't make it any better wither. He sighed, and leaned in to kiss her.  
"I'm glad you're okay..."

The man didn't seem to notice the widening of Rein's eyes. She didn't understand.  
Who was this crazy man who was yelling at her? What was he talking about?!  
If she could, she would have yelled at him that he had the wrong room, or person or something.  
Who was Rein? Her name was... What? She was sure she had a name...

Holding the man a bay, he leaned back, unable to conceal the alarmed expression that had taken her.  
He seemed just as surprised as she did, and his jaw dropped.  
"What? What is it?" He asked.

Rein continued to frown at him, and he shook his hand.  
"I spend an entire month-" Sighing he shook his head. If she wasn't going to talk to him, he couldn't make her.  
Maybe she was still mad about their argument, though this seemed to be no time to worry about something like that...  
"We'll do this later... Just stay here, let me get a nurse..." With that Gintoki left, and Rein watched him as he moved.  
Something was wrong. Everything was gone.  
She had no history, no memories, just that she had heard some voices, and was here; in what appeared to be a hospital.

Peering around the room, she couldn't help but scowl. What was going on?  
The door opened, and three doctors rushed in followed by a nurse.  
"Incredible- She's really-"  
"Wait, let's check her blood pressure, and the heart meter..." Another stated, moving to her side.

"How are you feeling?" The nurse walked to her side, and the third doctor stood at the foot of her bed, writing on a clip board.  
Rein tried to reply, but still couldn't. Her voice was to forced, and she glanced at the silver haired man as he walked back into the room.  
"Can't speak yet? It's okay, that's normal... We're just gonna run some tests, okay?"  
Nodding to the woman clothed in blue, Rein gazed at Gintoki.

Obviously irritated, he offered a slight wave, before leaving.


	6. Visitors

"So- I heard she woke up today." Hijikata stated, as he raised his shot glass to his lips.  
The Vice commander had the day off, and once night had fallen, decided to spent time drinking with Gintoki.  
Though the two normally didn't get along, neither of them would pester each other about cheering up, thus forming an unspoken agreement to put up with each other.

"Yeah. She sat up, and looked around the room. Couldn't talk though. The doctors said it was normal, but... Maybe it was just me, but I don't think she recognized me..." Sighing loudly, Gintoki poured himself a shot.  
The two men were sitting at the Yorozura, on the floor of Gintoki's room, for privacy.  
There weren't many places that they could go to drink and talk in peace for a good price, so the men decided that would have to do.

"Didn't recognize you?" Hijikata stared at the samurai intensely, unsure of what to make of the statement.  
Gintoki nodded, raising the glass to his lips.  
"Are you sure? How could she-"  
"I don't know." Gintoki stated flatly before downing the clear liquid.  
"What made you think that?" Hijikata asked, pulling a cigarette from him coat.  
"Well... I tried to kiss her, but... She wouldn't let me. The doctors said they had to run some tests, and the nurse asked me to leave... It was really awkward."

The alcohol had allowed the men to speak freely, but they hadn't passed a slight buzz yet.  
Silence fell over them, and they both remained lost in their own thoughts.  
"She was probably just confused. Rein can be harsh at times..." The Vice Commander finally sighed after their extended pause.  
The two men nodded, and the drinking commenced.  
"Things have come a long way seeing as to how last week you wouldn't even let anybody say the word eyebrow."  
Snickering, Hijikata glanced at Gintoki who glared at him in turn.

"Yeah, well everybody just needed to move on! Why would they keep talking about her if they don't even know what's going on?!  
Things like how she liked fruit, and melon pan... That any girlfriend of mine is bound to die."  
Obviously annoyed, Gintoki snatched the cigarette from Hijikata. The vice commander stared at the man stunned. What was he doing?!

Rein had normally tasted of cigarettes. It wasn't the same to smoke, but while drunk Gintoki didn't really mind...

"I'll visit her in the morning, see how she's doing..." Hijikata sighed, pulling out another smoke.

* * *

"Wake up..."

A voice in the darkness caused Rein to stir slightly. She had awoken earlier in the day, but didn't remember too much from it.  
Now the hospital was dark, and somebody was lightly nudging her.  
Groaning lightly, she opened her eyes, only to find a man standing over her.  
"You _are_ awake..!" Sitting up, Rein peered at the man, frowning.  
He had short black hair, and one of his eyes was wrapped.  
"Hmm?" She asked, raising a hand to her throat. His brow furrowed, and he leaned toward her.  
She didn't seem angry that he had shown up... Didn't try to hit him, or scowl as usual.  
The only look he received was one of curiosity.  
"What? Why are you staring at me in such an odd manner? ... Don't you remember me?" The man asked, and she shook her head.  
Surprise flickered across his face, and he stood up straight, his expression growing calm.

"I'll explain later... Come on, you can trust me." He extended a hand towards her, and though she was confused she nodded.  
Something about it didn't feel right, but it was so odd that she couldn't refuse.  
Like the man earlier; she knew that she knew him, but she didn't know him.  
Questions buzzed in her head. She couldn't remember anything. Her name, her age, everything was gone.

Taking the man's hand she draped her legs over the side of the bed.  
The woman pointed to her arm which held a needle in it, and he nodded in response.  
Leaning towards her, he pulled the tape from the needle, and quickly pulled it out.  
He then removed all other connections between her and the machines.  
Offering his hand again, he helped her to her feet.  
Rein's legs seemed weak, and she clutched his yukata, and hand to keep from falling.

The man frowned down at her curiously, wrapping an arm around her back.  
"Are you alright?"  
She nodded, and he sighed.  
"Damn it, you're more trouble then it's worth..." She scowled at him as he spoke the words, but was met with an odd smirk.  
"Can you speak? You haven't said a word..." Though it was no time for conversation, he couldn't help but ask.  
Even without her memory of him, Rein would normally have made some sort of snide remark or something.  
She shook her head in response, but soon decided to attempt.

After a few forced tries she managed a single word.  
"Who?"

It was obvious what she was asking, and his smirk never faded as he spoke.  
"Takasugi Shinsuke."

* * *

**A/N: Oookaaayy! So- Third person it is!**  
**I agree- it's much better then first (Easier to write too :3)**  
**Thank you for your opinions!**  
**Also, FireclawX- I loved your review! You're very right, that there wasn't much detail on why it would come to that sort of ending, but it was more or less due to Rein being her own enemy. Killing her only family, and being alone- it was stressful to find that her sister hadn't hated her the entire time. To know that she had reasons, and just wanted to leave Rein with the burden. Then in realizing that that one death had such an impact on her, and she mercilessly cut people down for years. Then with Gintoki nagging her- it was just depression, she was trying to run away. I didn't even expect that ending, but after talking with my sister, and friend they said it was good, and I didn't want to leave it at that. :3 I hope that sort of answered any questions- (Probably didn't but yeah... Yeah) And thank you for reading my story!**


	7. Who are we?

Darkness consumed the halls of the hospital; excluding an occasional ceiling fixture.  
As Takasugi led the woman through the halls, they heard a bit of a ruckus only a few meters away.  
"Room 172! The heart monitor stopped!"  
A woman's voice called the information, and as Rein curiously stared in the direction the sound originated from Takasugi pulled her into a dark corner of on of the walls.  
Three people rushed by, and she studied the man as he peered at them, and around the corner.  
When they were out of sight, he urged her to continue, and the pair rushed from the facility.

Once outside, he showed her to a grey car around the corner, and opened the door for her.  
Rein had been holding her gown up with on hand as they ran, just thankful that her back was completely covered.  
She got in, and peered up at the man as he closed the door, and walked to the driver's side.  
When he entered the car, he glanced at her for a moment before starting the engine.  
They rode in silence, occasional street lights shining on the woman as she examined the town, car, and man.  
Soon she appeared to be trying to talk, and Takasugi waited patiently as she forced her voice to cooperate.  
"Why?" She asked and he glanced at her again before returning his eye to the road.  
"Why did I break you out?" He asked, and she nodded.  
"M'hmm."

Sighing, the man pulled his pipe from it's resting place on the middle console.  
"I- I had to." He stated, sounding a bit unsure of himself. Rein frowned in confusion, yet nodded slowly.  
Sitting back she gently placed a hand to her throat.  
"Water..." The woman appeared exhausted, and Takasugi allowed his eye to wander to her again.

_'What do I tell her? If she doesn't remember me... Does she remember Gintoki? Would she believe anything I say?'_

The thought jumped into his mind, and he pulled the car into a gas station.  
Watching the man shift into park, Rein raised an eyebrow to him.  
"Wait here." He commanded, getting out.  
As the door closed, she followed the man with her eyes, trying to make sense of who he was, or if she had made the right decision; leaving with him.  
It was true that he seemed to know her, and there was something vaguely familiar about him, but in a disturbing way.  
The man from earlier wasn't as calm as Takasugi, and she hadn't even gotten his name, but despite the kissing thing he was sort of familiar too.  
In a less dangerous way.  
The thrill of riding around with this near stranger was almost unbearable, and she wished she could ask more questions, but that would come with time.  
For now, she would have to settle for one word...

A few random people passed by, and soon Takasugi returned holding a small bag.  
When he got into the car, he thrust it towards her, not even bothering to look in her general direction.  
Rein accepted the bag, and found a water which she wasted no time in consuming.  
Once almost half of the bottle was gone and they had started towards wherever the man was going, she continued to seek information.  
"Who?" The woman pointed to herself, and Takasugi stopped at a red light, turning to face her.  
"Who are you?" He asked and she nodded.  
Sighing the man pulled the mirror in front of her down and flipped it open.  
A light came on, and she peered at herself, frowning.  
"Rein... Your name is Rein... Itami." He informed as the traffic light turned green.

Gazing at herself Rein raised a hand to her lips, sliding her fingers to her cheek.  
She raised her black hair to her eyes, remaining deathly silent. She didn't even know... How could she forget?  
Something as serious as who she was seemed too important to lose.  
She closed the mirror and sat back, moving a bit too quickly. Her abdomen ached, and she placed a hand to it, cringing.

* * *

Their surroundings changed from a city to an area filled with warehouses, and wreckage.  
Incomplete buildings, sand instead of grass. For some reason she felt like she knew where she was, but it just wasn't clear.  
The ghost of a memory hung on her mind, but it was just that- A ghost.  
The car was pulled into a dark garage, and Rein peered at Takasugi.  
His features were illuminated by a green light from the dashboard, and he pushed the car into park.  
The man didn't speak as he turned the car off, and the door behind them closed. He got out, and soon Rein's door was opening.  
"Come on..."  
Offering his hand, he helped the woman from the car, and she clutched his yukata when the door closed, and darkness surrounded them.

Leading her to a light fixture, he flipped the switch and motioned to a nearby staircase.  
The room was mostly empty, the only thing in sight was an object under a tan tarp.  
The concrete floor made the room cold, and Rein studied everything before proceeding up the stairs.  
Takasugi was close behind her, and firmly placed a hand on her back, guiding her down the plain white hallway and to a door on the right.  
It was all so... Familiar. She knew she had been there, but when? He opened the door, revealing a large room with deep red walls.  
The carpet was black, and all of the furniture was made of a rich wood.  
In the far left corner was a bed, with black sheets, and large red pillows.  
The man guided her to a square table to the right of the room; near the foot of the bed.  
She sat down, and he sat across from her, with his back to the wall. So familiar.

"I'm sure you have questions... Right?" Takasugi asked in a low tone, and she eagerly nodded.  
"Well..." His eye traced over the room, and he stood up, finding a notebook.  
The man flipped to a blank page, and grabbed a pencil.  
With everything he needed, he walked back to the table and placed the materials in front of the woman.  
"Ask away."

She peered up at him for a moment before grabbing the pencil.  
"How do we know each other?" Passing the note book to him she fixed her grey eyes on the man.  
Admittedly she was surprised that her hand writing was so neat.  
He read the sentence, and nodded.  
"We worked together. Rather- you worked for me, but..." Shifting his gaze he sighed.  
"It was more then that..."

Rein frowned at him, tilting her head to the side. She pulled the notepad back and started to scribble a bunch of questions.  
"How old am I? What kind of work? More then that? How?"  
When the book was placed in front of him, Takasugi trailed his eye over the neat words.  
"You're twenty four... I believe you were born on the 25th of march... And for work?  
Well... It's difficult to explain. By more then that, I mean that you were..."  
He paused, shifting his gaze again. He didn't know what to say.  
But then the thought of her believing everything he said gave him an idea.  
"We met through work- you were my secretary... After ten years we decided to become rather serious. We're married."  
He stated looking straight at her. Rein's eyes widened, and she gasped, frowning.  
The woman looked at her hand, searching for a ring.  
"It got stolen." He lied pushing his pipe to his lips.

A confused frown furrowed her brow, and Takasugi thought of even more to tell her.  
"I told you to stay away from your Ex, but you didn't listen... The crazy bastard attacked you, and stole your ring. That's why you were in the hospital."

Closing her eyes Rein shook her head, leaning it into her open palm.  
Memories did not willingly jump into her mind, though she tried to make them.  
It was too much to take in. She never expected her life to be so complicated... This man was apparently her husband...  
But then who was the man who was yelling at her and tried to kiss her? What was he doing?  
Why couldn't she remember? A splitting head ache made an appearance, and she sighed loudly.  
The stress of the situation was apparent, and Takasugi lowered his gaze.  
He knew it was wrong to fabricate such a lie, but he couldn't just let her leave... Let Gintoki have her.

Pulling the note book back Rein scribbled another line, and pushed it towards Takasugi.  
"Who was this Ex? What did he look like? Why did he hurt me?"

Takasugi gazed at her, wondering if he had made a mistake. But now it had already been done, he couldn't take it all back...  
"His name is Gintoki, he has curly white hair. I assume it was jealousy. The anger of you leaving him..."  
He sighed, and she remained in place staring at the table. Something about this wasn't right.  
But she had no proof of her own to discredit the man's words. Silence engulfed the two and Takasugi stood up, walking from the table.  
"Are you comfortable staying here, or would you prefer your own room for the time being?"

The woman turned to face him, frowning. It took a moment for her to respond, but she shrugged.  
If they were married it didn't matter if they slept in the same room, right?  
Though she was uncomfortable she stood up and motioned to his bed, offering a slight, indifferent shrug.  
Still the same person after all...


	8. Exploring

Sleep seemed to elude Rein for most of the night.  
Takasugi slept with his back to her, and she occasionally glanced at the man trying to make sense of the situation.  
Though they were married they didn't cuddle? He seemed very formal with her, only furthering her confusion.  
He hadn't kissed her, or said anything even remotely nice, or sweet. This must have been a very unsatisfied marriage.  
Though the man appeared to have money he also appeared to think that said money would probably suffice in keeping a woman happy.  
Rein figured he was the kind of man to immerse himself in work, and leave her lonely for most of the day...

he also appeared to be nervous... That wasn't normal. If they were married, why would he be nervous? Were they newly weds?  
How long had they been together? He knew her birthday, so that showed that he really did know her, but...  
Needless to say, it was uncomfortable. Though the room was dark, Rein strained her eyes to see something- Anything.  
And if her last name was Itami, and his was Takasugi... Well, why were they different? Was Itami her maiden name?  
Had he told her her maiden name instead of her real last name? Was there any family that could confirm it?  
She needed proof, some sort of proof. Maybe wedding pictures?  
There had to be some sort of photo of them together, looking like they loved one another, right?  
Some how, she managed to fall asleep; lost in her own thoughts.

* * *

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?!" Gintoki visited the hospital as per usual, only to find that Rein had disappeared.  
Clenching the bag of melon pan he had brought with him, he angrily shouted the words at a nurse.  
"Well sir, we assume she just got up and walked out last night... Her machines were disconnected, and she vanished.  
Hasn't been back since... But while she was here we figured something out...  
Itami-San has been diagnosed with Hysterical Amnesia, also known as Fugue Amnesia.  
She has no sense of who she is, or anybody else. No memory of her past... She knows that she was hurt, but can't remember how..."

"What?" The word was mostly a gasp, and the nurse behind the desk nodded.  
Distressed, Gintoki shifted his gaze. A loud sigh parted his lips, and he willed himself to ask the question that hung on his mind.  
"Will she ever remember again?"  
The nurse nodded, offering a small smile.  
"That type of amnesia is usually triggered by an event that the person's mind is unable to cope with properly...  
In most cases the memory either slowly or suddenly comes back within a few days."

That was all he needed to hear. Nodding to himself, and the woman, Gintoki turned away.  
"Is it possible that somebody may have helped her out..?"  
He didn't see the frown that furrowed the nurse's brow, or the fact that she shifted her gaze.  
"The doors of occupied rooms lock every night at nine o'clock on the dot."  
What the woman failed to tell Gintoki was of the doctor which had been found unconscious the night of the disappearance.  
That and the fact that said doctor was missing a master key card.

Without another word Gintoki left. He called Hijikata to inform the vice commander of his discovery.

* * *

When Rein awoke, Takasugi was gone.  
The man had left nothing but an empty space beside her, and she gazed at the rumpled bedding unable to conceal her scowl.  
That was it? Just go to sleep, and leave? No "Good morning", no "Hey hun, off to work"? Nothing at all?  
Sighing to herself she crawled from the bed. What did wives do all day? Take care of the house? Clean?  
Well, she wasn't entirely sure, so she decided to do whatever she thought of.  
Though the room was mostly neat, there were a few loose papers, and weapons just laying around.  
Bottles of alcohol, and various other items littered the dresser, and she opted to organize.  
There was nothing else to do- and she didn't know anything about the place she was in...  
Rein found a plain grey yukata, and though it was a bit too big, she pulled it on.

After making the bed, stacking the papers, and arranging the bottles and weapons in a neat formation, Rein didn't know what to do.  
She decided to explore the place; maybe she would remember something...  
Silently pulling the door open, she peered around the hallway.  
Seeing nobody around she slipped out of the room, and started to walk the plain corridors.  
Most of the doors were identical, and she didn't know where to start, so she opted to just walk around.  
The woman came to a tall metal staircase leading down to a large room with grating n the center of the floor.  
A large rectangular window was to her right, yet something about it seemed important...  
Prying her eyes from the large metal door down stairs, she peered out of the window.  
For some reason, nervousness crept over her, and she backed away from it, scared she might fall.  
'Odd...'

"Rein..! What are you doing here?"  
Turing to face the voice, she found a tall man wearing sunglasses.  
He wore navy blue clothes, and calmly walked to her side, donning a raised eyebrow.  
Apparently he knew her, and she offered a small awkward smirk, and wave.  
"What are you doing here?" He echoed, and she stared up at him, confused.  
Finding that her voice wasn't as forced as the day before, she opted to attempt an answer.  
"I... Live here..."  
Now the man frowned in confusion.  
"What?" He asked, leaning towards her.  
"What's wrong with you? Your tune..."

Shifting her gaze, she crossed her arms. Tune? What did he mean?  
"Husband..."  
"What?!" He asked, and she peered at him oddly. The man grabbed her sleeve and started pulling her away.  
At a loss, Rein snatched her arm back, wondering who the hell he thought he was.  
He stopped, and appeared to glare at her, before roughly tugging her behind him again.  
Unable to escape, she was pulled into a dark room. Once the door was closed, the man turned to her, and crossed his arms.  
"What the hell are you talking about? Husband? And why the hell would you do that?!"  
For some reason the man growled the last question at her, and she scowled up at him.  
"Shinsuke." She stated, and his lips parted as if he was internally gasping.  
He shook his head, and started across the room to what appeared to be a bed, but then turned back around to her.  
"Something is wrong, I dare say..." The words were a low murmur, and he walked back to the woman, grabbing her shoulder.  
"You haven't said my name."

Gazing up at him, she shifted her gaze.  
"No memory..." She informed, and he looked away.  
"None?" He asked, and she shook her head. A moment of silence passed, and he pulled her to the bed.  
"Sit down." He commanded, and she frowned in confusion before obliging.  
"Do you remember this? Is it familiar? Am I?"  
Nodding, she stared at the dark covers beneath herself.  
"Recognized. But..." Her broken speech was starting to really irritate her. How long would this last?  
The man leaned over her, placing his palms on the bed. Rein leaned away from him, wide eyed.  
Was she having an affair?! Was this her secret lover?! He lived with them?!  
Maybe Takasugi was so cold towards her that she had to seek affection from this guy?

"You can move any time you want... Turn the light off when you go... You could at least show that you like the closeness.  
Like wrap your arms around me or something... There's nothing wrong with pretending, just for a few hours... Just this once...  
Those were some nice panties... How can it sound so labyrinthine? So perplexing... Intoxicating... "

He murmured the words, and recognition flickered inside of her. Everything he said had been heard before.  
And though the exact events surrounding those words were unknown, she was sure that it was all related somehow... Some point in time...  
She frowned in confusion, and when she didn't respond, he continued.  
"There's something about you, you're completely different. You're no killer."  
His voice was just barely a whisper, almost as if he was humming in a sense, but everything was familiar...  
"Do you remember?" He asked, and she shifted her gaze, unable to truly say yes.  
The man continued to lean into Rein, and she froze as he brushed his lips against her neck.  
"Wait... Husband..." Her voice was soft, and the man snorted in dry amusement.  
This had happened before, she was sure of it. At some point in time he had done this- but when?  
"I'm not going to push you any further... I know who you like..."  
Pulling back, he seemed to gaze at her.  
"I'm a good kisser, huh?" The man asked, and she frowned in confusion. Was this déjà vu?  
Without warning, the man crashed his lips into hers. Alarmed, Rein tried to lean back, but pain rippled through her abdomen.  
She ended up clutching his shoulders, and for a split second realization crossed her.  
"K- Bansai!"

His breath caught and he pulled back, staring at her. The name was like a light bulb, yet it shed no light. Just an odd feeling...  
Biting down on her lip, Rein reached up, and pulled his glasses off.  
"Bansai..." She echoed, and he peered at her, nodding.  
"You need to hurry up and remember everything, I dare say... I don't know whats going on, but you have one month...  
One. If you're still lost by then, I'll fix you."  
"Fix?" Rein asked, and he sighed.  
"You wrote me a letter, explaining some things... I'll show you- and hopefully you will remember.  
But for now there's one name you better not forget, I dare say..."  
She raised an eyebrow to the man, and he shifted his gaze.  
"Chizuru." He stated coldly, and she frowned. With that he stood up, and pulled her to her feet.  
"Go."

Rein glanced at him, slightly worried. Something was going on.  
Takasugi was hiding something from her, and she didn't want to leave the one man she knew, to be with the one man she was suspicious of.


	9. Romantically Rewarding

To find the answers she was looking for, Rein needed to find Takasugi. But where?  
The warehouse was extensive, and she had no idea as to which door he might be behind.  
He wasn't in their room, and the only room Rein found was a shower... Better then nothing.

After bathing she felt refreshed, and continued her search.  
One of the hallways gave way to metal grating, leading across the top of a dark room.  
This place didn't seem familiar at all... That's when she heard it.  
"Takasugi! I already told you-"  
"What you've told me was bullshit; in it's finest form, that is. I gave you three weeks, which you claimed would be ample amount of time. Now you return, empty handed? It would be a shame if you lost that..."

An argument coming from ahead. Silently creeping towards the door, Rein continued to listen in.  
The voices dropped to a low murmur, and the men seemed to be referring to something unknown.  
She stood a few feet from the door, her hair still dripping down her back.  
The yukata she wore had grown wet around her shoulders, and she tried to understand what was going on.

"Do you take me for a fool?!" That was definitely Takasugi...  
"I refuse to talk to you about this sir! Where is Kawakami-San? He's a much better business man-"  
"NO! You have received all of the help you can from him. You will answer to me..."  
Silence followed the threatening tone, but not for long.  
Soon Takasugi sneered an unintelligible line, that must have pushed the other man too far.  
Or maybe it was the other man who insulted him, but a large piece of furniture could be heard moving.  
The door flung open, startling Rein, and she fell back as a sword halved a stranger.  
The woman remained on the grating, wide eyed as blood splattered across her face, and the man fell to the ground before her.  
While she knew it was a horrible sight that should terrify her, it didn't. Alarmed she was, but scared?  
No. The sensation was all too familiar, and she stared up at Takasugi, who appeared to be glaring down at her.

"What are you doing there?" He asked in a low tone. The man held a sword, and the room beyond him appeared to be an office.  
Rein shifted her gaze, knowing that she shouldn't have been eavesdropping.  
Takasugi stepped over the stranger, and offered her a hand, which she hesitantly grasped.  
He pulled the woman up, and locked his eye to hers. Upon seeing that she wouldn't over react, or scream, he smirked.  
"There should be a dress in my room. Go put it on." Leaving it at that he walked back into the office and closed the door.

_'His room? Just his?' _Rein wondered, peering down at the corpse at her feet.  
Though the lighting was dim, she could still make out the body's silhouette.  
After taking a moment to calm down, she started away.

* * *

Back in the room, Rein found a new dress had been laid across the table. She was sure it hadn't been there before.  
There was also a necklace, and some black high heels. She frowned at the clothes, feeling slightly uneasy.  
A short purple dress just didn't seem comfortable...  
A minute passed, and she continued to stare at everything feeling as though something was wrong.  
Despite that fact, she reluctantly pulled the clothes on, and waited at the table, wondering what Takasugi had planned.  
Half an hour passed, and she sighed, for some reason feeling unsatisfied.  
Obviously if he would go so far as to buy her a new dress, she should at least appreciate it...Right?  
He was her husband after all, right? Something was missing... And she couldn't help but think of that guy in the hospital.  
Was that the Gintoki that Takasugi had spoken of? Would that man really hit her?  
He seemed like he cared for her, and even said he had been there every day... It didn't add up.  
If that guy was the abusive Ex, then why would the nurses let him in so readily?  
The only one who seemed to sneak in was Takasugi- the husband guy. He had come in during the night, and led her away...  
Still hadn't taken her outside. It was suspicious for lack of a better word. Very suspicious.  
Also when she was cleaning the room, she found nothing that looked as though it was hers.  
No clothes, no small little nicknacks. If she really belonged here, shouldn't she at least have some things?  
A bottle of water sat on the table and Rein decided to take a sip. Nothing added up.  
Gintoki seemed stunned when she stopped him from kissing her.  
He was obviously surprised. But then again, the moment she woke up he started yelling at her... Huh.  
This was too weird. The door opened, and an Amanto walked in. Did she know that guy too?  
He was very formal, and beckoned her to follow after him. The moment Rein stood up, she fell. Damn shoes...

* * *

The Amanto led her around the warehouse, and she passed Bansai on the way to wherever she was being taken.  
He snickered at her as she tried to walk properly in the shoes, and she shot him a bitter glare. Not everything changes.  
Finally reaching their destination, they walked through a large room with a wall sized window in it.  
For some reason the room made her think of a penis...  
There was a balcony in the room, and Takasugi was seated at a small round table with two round lit candles in the center.  
He glanced at her for a moment, before shifting his attention back to the setting sun. The Amanto seated her, and left the two alone.  
Takasugi peered at the woman, and she locked her eyes to his.  
"Looks good on you." The man commented, and she thanked him.  
"Is your speech returning?"  
Nodding, Rein turned to see the sunset. A forest was below, and the sky was shades of orange and purple.  
Not a single cloud was in sight, an Takasugi sighed.  
"You handled yourself well today, I expected you to at least scream..."  
Gazing at him, Rein shook her head.  
Two glasses of red wine were set on the white cloth of the table, and Takasugi gently lifted his to his lips.

Though Rein wasn't sure about drinking, she mirrored his motion. After a few seconds, she felt herself relax a bit.  
"Would I in the past?"  
Takasugi's eye widened, and he frowned at her.  
"What?" The woman sounded ridiculously normal; the same resentful tone, and expression.  
"Scream." She stated, lost in the sunset.  
Shifting his gaze, Takasugi shook his head.  
"I suppose not."

Noticing that her speech was growing easier, Rein decided to take full advantage of the moment, as though it could leave at any second.  
"Shinsuke... Can you show me some pictures?"  
The question caught he man off guard, and he stared at her.  
"Of?"  
"Us." The air grew stiff. At least, for Takasugi it did. He took a sip of his wine, to stall answering.  
After placing the glass back down, he had an excuse.  
"Neither of us have family. We decided not to have a wedding, and just sign the paperwork. You've never been fond of cameras."  
His answer didn't satisfy her, especially when accompanied with the dark expression he was making. Odd.

"Not even just random, surprise photos? There has to be some-"  
"Are you doubting me?" Irritated, he interrupted her, and she held his eye with her own.  
"Not at all."


	10. Controlling

After dinner, Takasugi and Rein walked back to his room together.  
He snickered at her, when she almost fell, and she glared at him in turn.  
"This is your fault." The woman pointed out, and an immediate frown creased his brow.  
A second time tripping was all it took to make Rein slip the shoes off.  
Takasugi scowled at her, as she picked them up and she raised an eyebrow at him.  
"What?" The wine had made her slightly dizzy, but the man saw that as no excuse.  
"Put them back on. Can't you at least wait until we reach the room?" An insulting tone crept into his voice, and Rein frowned in confusion.  
"But it's still our house, right? Does it really make a difference? Either way-"  
"Put them on." He commanded, and now more then ever, Rein was confused by the man.  
"I don't want to. No. I'll probably die before we reach the damn room."  
She crossed her arms, and Takasugi eyed her. The man took a step towards her, and gripped her arm.

"When you are around me, you _will_ act properly. Have some _class _about yourself. You _will_ listen to me. _Now put the damn shoes on_."  
Glaring at the man, Rein felt her pulse increase.  
For some reason, she felt the urge to cut him... Probably not a good sign...  
Was he always this controlling? What was the point of fighting over something as menial as shoes?  
Pulling away from his touch she continued ahead.  
"Have I ever cut you before? Because I feel like I should right now... Even if it's just a little..."  
She spoke the words over her shoulder, and Takasugi scowled at her, slightly surprised at the statement.  
She had to be remembering... That was not a good sign. And that damn attitude of hers...  
Infuriated, he watched the woman open the door to his room, and quickly followed after her.  
She would pay. Yes, he would make sure of that. How dare she disobey him, it was almost as if she hadn't lost her memory at all!  
but even with her memory she wasn't this ridiculous!

When he entered the room, Takasugi slammed the door behind himself.  
Rein glanced at him from where she sat on the bed, not seeming to mind.  
The one eyed man walked straight to her side and stole her lips; locking her in a rough kiss.  
He would have her, while she still believed she was his. Even if only once- he had to.  
Surprise rippled through Rein, as the man forced his tongue into her mouth.  
She was almost stunned, and her first instinct was to shove him away.  
This was wrong, and she knew it. Incredibly wrong- Not normal...  
Pushing against him, she was even further shocked when he didn't stop, he simply forced her on her back.  
Pain rippled through her abdomen, and she tried to remind herself that this was supposed to be her husband.  
Maybe he was just angry; that's why it didn't feel normal, right?  
One of his hands roughly pulled her dress up, and she tried to tell herself that this should be okay, yet couldn't keep herself from squirming away.  
When he pressed against her a forced moan parted her lips, and she broke the kiss off.  
_'This shouldn't be happening... Why does this feel so wrong?'_

Takasugi lowered his lips to her neck, and she moaned again.  
Only, this time she said a name. Not his.  
"Gin-"

The man froze, and silence engulfed the two.  
Rein peered up at him, wide eyed, and he seemed to be making the same startled expression.  
But his quickly turned into a scowl.  
_'Oh shit...' _The words jumped into Rein's mind, as Takasugi pulled away from her.  
The man stood over her, and shifted his gaze.  
"Get out." His voice was a growl, and Rein sat up.  
"Shinsuke- I didn't-"  
"Get. Out." He echoed, not wanting to hear her excuse.  
Really she didn't need one, it was obvious why she would say that name. But still.  
He couldn't do this if she was going to sit there and call him another man's name.  
Just couldn't. Undeniably angered, he glowered at the wall; refusing to look at her.  
This was his own fault, thinking that he could bring her here, and it would be the same as actually being with her.  
The woman he knew was different. A constant fight. A killer, like him. Yet kind the same time.  
Without her memories- well, she wasn't Rein.  
Her slip up might have only been a mistake, maybe muscle memory or whatever, but he couldn't do it after that.  
Even if he were to force her, the excitement would be short lived; the satisfaction non-existent. She probably wouldn't even fight him.

Rein remained silent as she stood up. She placed a hand on Takasugi's chest, hoping to apologize. But she couldn't. Not exactly.  
"I- guess I should say sorry, right?"  
It sounded like Rein, even looked like her. But it just wasn't. Even if it was, after calling him Gin, he didn't give a damn.  
The gentle hand on his yukata only further annoyed him, and Takasugi swatted her hands, shoving her away.  
"Didn't I tell you to leave?!"

Apparently the action had not been anticipated, and Rein fell on her ass.  
Sighing loudly, Takasugi sat on his bed.  
"Why don't you go sleep with Bansai again?" He sneered the words and her eyes widened.  
What the hell was going on? She had slept with Bansai?! When!?  
When he peered down at the woman, he was surprised to find her looking incredibly vulnerable.  
She was chewing her lower lip, and her eyebrows were raised with worry.  
"You're- You're a horrible husband!" Lashing out at him, Rein pushed herself to her feet, and stormed to the door.  
The statement caused Takasugi's eye to widen.  
"And maybe I _will_ sleep with him! He seems like he actually _cares_ bout me! Doubt he'd shove me around!"  
After snapping the words she slammed the door behind herself.  
Now why did she feel like going back and killing that husband man?

* * *

Of course, the only place she could go was to Kawakami's room.  
Which she did- after washing her neck, and mouth out. Disgust had overwhelmed her, and she was increasingly infuriated.  
When she reached Kawakami's room, she didn't bother to knock. The woman walked right in, and he turned to face her.  
The man had been laying in his bed with his back to the door, appearing to be ready to sleep.  
Rein locked the door behind herself, and moved to his side.  
"That bastard pushed me!"  
Sitting up, and turning to face her, Kawakami raised an eyebrow.  
His glasses, and headphones had been removed, and he peered up at the woman, slightly confused.  
"A- Are you alright?" The question sounded more like a formality, like he didn't quite know what else he should say...  
Maybe since she never goes around whining about such a small spat...  
She nodded, and crossed her arms, shifting her gaze.  
Soon a light snicker filled the air, and Rein glared down at him.  
"What's so funny?" She demanded, and Kawakami smirked.  
"One: You're sounding kind of like yourself. Two: I'm surprised you didn't fight him. Normally, the Rein I know wouldn't let anybody touch her without reciprocating."  
Not a single warning was given before he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bed.  
Rein smacked him as he wrapped his arms around her, and he frowned down at the woman.  
"Like that?" She asked, and he allowed another smirk to curl his lips.  
"Not quite..." Leaning into her, he placed his lips to her collar bone, and Rein tried to make sense of his affection.  
When the man pulled back, he gazed into her eyes, which was only more nerve-wracking.

They stared at each other for a moment before Kawakami sighed, and released her.  
"Damn it..." The man turned his back to her, and pulled the covers over himself.  
Confused, Rein sat up and peered down at him.  
"What?"

"Didn't I tell you not to go down the roads that have construction workers and port-a-potties?"  
That didn't answer her question at all. Though the line sounded familiar, she still wondered why he had sworn under his breath.  
Feeling a memory creep over her, she shifted her gaze, trying to grasp it before it passed.  
"E- Everybody needs affection every now and then..."  
Upon hearing the familiar words, Kawakami peered at her over his shoulder.  
"Did you sleep with him?"  
The question caught her off guard, and Rein frowned at the man beside her.  
"That husband guy?"  
"Stop calling him that." He sighed, and she shifted her gaze.  
"Uh, no... I didn't..."  
Kawakami turned over to face the woman, silently studying her.  
She peered back at him, curious as to what he would say.  
"You gonna keep that dress on the entire night? I'll get you another yukata in the morning again."  
The notion was met with a slow, suspicious nod, and he chuckled.  
Rein crawled over him and to the floor. As she unzipped her dress he watched her, and she scowled.  
"Really? You're just going to sit there and enjoy the show?"  
An eyebrow raised to the man, and he snickered for the umpteenth time.  
"Not like I haven't seen it before. As long as you keep your panties on that is."

Slightly confused, she rolled her eyes, and turned her back to the man. Had she really slept with him?  
Or did they just sleep together? When the dress fell, she peered at him over her shoulder.  
Not surprisingly he was still watching, and had propped his head on his open palm.  
The woman crawled back over him, and he watched her every move. Studying the matching purple undergarments.  
"Surprised you even put that on... Looks good, but colors aren't really your thing..."  
Rein glanced at him, before turning her back to the man.  
He slid beside her and wrapped his arms around her torso.  
"You really need to hurry up and remember..."  
His hands migrated in opposite directions, stopping just beside her most intimate parts, and causing goosebumps to raise on the woman's skin.  
"Why?" She asked, and he placed his lips against her neck.  
"I don't know how much more I can take..."

* * *

**A/N: Hello all! I'm updating this chapter to answer a review! Btw I love all of your reviews, criticism or not!**  
**Oookay- So, seppukuanon- Thank you for reviewing! :) Just to let you know I always research my topics before writing about them. Some times I may refer to things in the wrong way, but Rein did commit seppuku. She also couldn't complete the motion, as it hurt too badly, and she was already injured. Yes, surviving is crazy, and practically impossible. But it wasn't done ritualistically. She had no witnesses, or anybody to behead her. Also I learned that Seppuku is only the written form of the ceremony, and in spoken word it is normally referred to as Hari-Kari. Also, since disemboweling oneself is considered unladylike, the female version of this is, _jigai. _It's a little different, actually. They tie their legs together so they won't fall open scandalously after death, and the woman slices her jugular vein open with a knife. It's mainly used when military defeat is imminent, to go out with honor rather than suffer either a cruel an unusual death or a fate worse then death. But since my character has never exactly been lady like, she decided to be a little more hardcore. :) Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I appreciate your comment.**

**Haha, Also I researched her amnesia, to Strawberry Wrath- it's possible, but it's a very rare form! Oookay, that's all :3**


	11. Memory Lane

When morning arrived, Kawakami woke Rein up. He had plans for the day; he would restore what he could.  
The rest would have to be left to Gintoki. Though working with the enemy was not very high on his list of goals, this was a special occasion.  
He couldn't let Rein be manipulated, or led astray. She didn't belong here, and deserved better.  
The woman groaned lightly as she turned over, and Kawakami nudged her again.  
"Wake up." He commanded, and she shrugged his hand away.  
Growing slightly annoyed by how lazy she could be, he snatched her shoulder, pulling her to her back.  
"Hurry up and get up. In a few hours your _husband _will be looking for you, I dare say."

Opening a single eye Rein scowled at him.  
"Bansaiiiii, I don't wanna get uuuppp."  
How could she scowl an whine at the same time? Even if it was sort of cute, it didn't fit her character.  
Sighing loudly, He leaned over the woman.  
"If you don't get up... I'll do something that will make you..."  
The moment he murmured the words her eyes shot open, and Rein sat up.  
"Erm... I'm awake... I'm awake..." She eyed the man as he turned away muttering a slight "good" in response.  
Kawakami left the room, and Rein rubbed her eyes.  
A dream was still fresh in her mind, yet she couldn't quite figure what it was about.  
Something about the man from the hospital...

When Kawakami returned he held a black body suit in his hands.  
"Put this on." The man threw the material at her, and she grabbed it.  
"But you said you'd get me a yukata..."  
"Put it on." He commanded, wishing she would just shut up and listen.  
Of course, she did, and he gave her a bit of privacy as she pulled the suit over herself.  
"Is this armor? Wait- this is mine... It's... Custom made..." Turning to face the woman Kawakami nodded.  
Without a word he led her from the room, and to the training room.  
Rein eyed the hallways, and walked over the hard wood floors studying Kawakami.  
"What's this?" She asked, but he didn't respond.  
The man handed her a bokken, and she examined it, unable to conceal her surprise.  
"Wh- What do you want me to do with this?" She asked, but he still offered no answer.  
Without warning, he swung at her. Gasping, Rein stepped back, yet blocked his sword with her own.  
"What the fuck?! You brought me here to attack me?!"  
Completely silent, Kawakami swung at her again and Rein evaded the attack wondering how the hell she was moving so quickly.  
The man continued to accost her, and Rein blocked, and ducked without even thinking about it.  
Second nature. It was as if fighting was instinct, and Kawakami seemed to be enjoying himself.  
His glasses made it impossible to predict his movements, yet it was as if she had fought him before.  
The only time she messed up was when he hooked his bokken behind her ankle, and tripped her.

"Well... That always trips you up, so I guess I couldn't expect you to avoid that..." A low snicker filled the air, and Rein glared at the man.  
"Asshole- You do that shit every time! You know I'm expecting you to swing at me! Not try to trip me!"  
Immediately stopping, Kawakami frowned. It was true. He did trip her every time... But the fact that she knew that...  
Nodding, he helped her up.  
"We're going to go out today... Better yet- you're going out today. And don't come back."  
Eyes widening, Rein frowned up at him.  
"Wait... What about Shinsuke? I- I can't just leave him without any warning... Just because I've been thinking about asking for a divorce-"  
A low snicker grew into a loud laugh, and Kawakami dropped his bokken, grabbing his stomach.  
The man covered his mouth, and Rein frowned in confusion. What was so funny?

He seemed to be reduced to nothing but a fit of laughter, and he stepped towards her, shaking his head.  
"You- You go ahead and ask for that... Just- Let me watch!"  
Why would he want to watch? What the hell was going on?! The man grabbed her weapon, and tossed it to the ground.  
His amusement seemed to pass, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"Come on... Let's go..."  
"Wait. I want to find a picture of me and Shinsuke. Something to show me what we were like..."  
A moment of silence passed, and Kawakami nodded.  
"Alright. There's one..."

* * *

The man led her around the winding halls of the warehouse and to a storage room.  
He pointed to a small wooden chest and nodded to her.  
"If you really want to know, it should be right on top..."  
A dim light illuminated the metal shelves against all of the walls of the room.  
Only a few small boxes and desks laid across the floor and Rein opened the chest Kawakami had motioned to.  
When she glanced back at the man he nodded, and she found the picture he had spoken of.  
In the middle of some sort of building, a younger version of her, and Takasugi were glaring at each other in some sort of grudgingly agreeing manner.  
They were shaking hands, and both of their hands were covered in blood.  
Below said hands laid a corpse. Not very romantic. Or even remotely couple-like.  
Takasugi had his arm tucked into his yukata, and Rein's hung by her side.  
For some reason the woman looked strong, and had a sword strapped to her hip.  
The two appeared to be annoyed with each other, and also to have killed that man together.

"Why is this..? Who am I?" Turning to face Kawakami Rein's eyebrows raised in concern.  
He walked to her side and knelt down, examining the picture.  
"It was to mark an agreement. The day you agreed to work for Shinsuke, and your grudge was settled...  
Almost ten years ago actually... You see, that was your previous employer..." Kawakami pointed to the corpse.  
"He was going to kill you both. The man had made a deal with Shinsuke, as he was a frequent customer here...  
You had seen too many things... I guess you knew a few secrets, and he decided to dispose of you.  
Probably guessing that nobody would care if a homeless woman died."

"Homeless?" Rein asked only appearing to be further concerned.  
Taking the picture, Kawakami sat down, and closed the box.  
"Yes. You were banished from your home town by your master. He was called Ryu, but he never revealed his full name to you.  
Something about a bad fortune reading. So you left, alone, and some how wound up here. I think he put you on a train.  
You were separated from your sister, Chizuru, and lived in this area, in an abandoned warehouse.  
Actually you were barely even fourteen when we met. It was... Well, there's a lot of history. I don't want to get into all of that.  
We've fought together, and grown together- Let's leave it there. We dated before. Nothing serious, I dare say, but our lives sort of got in the way."  
A long low sigh parted his lips and he gazed at her.

"Now, as for who you are... Your name is Itami, if I'm not mistaken.  
Your parents use to aid samurai who had been captured. Your family earned a very important position in war.  
If men were taken hostage or imprisoned, they would sneak cyanide pills, or daggers to the those who couldn't escape.  
They would always be the first to investigate missing men, and report to the people, or family upon discovering their whereabouts.  
There weren't many of you, and you and Chizuru were believed to be the last after your parents died..."

"Died? Chizuru?" Completely engrossed in the story Rein pushed Kawakami to continue.  
The name Chizuru caused nervousness to creep over her, and she didn't understand why.  
How did Kawakami know so much? It was a mystery, but she was thankful that somebody did...

"Yes. They were killed trying to retrieve an heirloom. A music box. But nobody knows where it went, or who was responsible. Chizuru was your sister."  
"Was?" She asked, and Kawakami nodded slowly.  
"Yes. You killed her."  
Gasping, Rein shook her head. She had killed her own sister? Why? How could she do such a thing?  
It didn't make sense. _None_ of it made sense. Why couldn't she remember?  
A splitting headache made an appearance, and she placed a hand to her head.  
For some reason, her heart started to pound within her chest, and adrenaline surged through her veins.  
Grief gripped her, and a loud sniffle filled the air.  
"No- Why would I..? I couldn't have... I didn't..."  
Noticing her distress, Kawakami sighed.  
"That's enough... I'm not telling you any more..." The man stood up, and offered his hand.  
Peering up at him, Rein was unable to shake the wave of desolation which had engulfed her.  
It was preposterous. Why would she, of all people, murder her own sister?  
But the picture she had just seen proved that she was not above killing...  
Taking Kawakami's hand, Rein stood up, gazing at him.  
"It wasn't your fault..." He stated, before leading her from the room.


	12. Love Is Complicated

As Kawakami led Rein down the hall, they found Takasugi coming from Kawakami's room.  
"Rein- What are you wearing? Bansai! Did you give her that?" Seeming immediately hostile Takasugi slowly walked to the two.  
"Yes sir. I did. Her memory seems to have returned... Some what. She remembered it, and asked for it. Also for another job. We were just training."  
Kawakami stated coolly.  
Takasugi's eye widened, and he peered at Rein, who nodded slowly. The woman held her usual scowl, and Takasugi shifted his gaze.  
"Very well. I'll find something. But for now... Rein, come with me."

The woman gazed up at Kawakami, who offered a slow nod. Takasugi noticed the silent interaction, which irritated him to no end.  
So she would listen to Bansai, and not him? What the fuck?! _He_ was supposed to be her husband, not the deaf man!  
Tightening his jaw, Takasugi started past the two.  
Kawakami nudged Rein towards the other man, and she glanced at him one last time before following after her "husband".

Takasugi led her to the room she had found him in the day before.  
The body of the stranger seemed to have been moved, and Takasugi walked into his office.  
Rein entered the room behind him, thankful that the grating have way to solid ground.  
She watched him as he seated himself behind the desk.  
And though Rein knew he probably expected her to sit in one of the chairs across from him, she decided to "test" their "marriage".  
She walked to his side of the desk, and leaned onto the sturdy wood, ignoring the disapproving scowl she was receiving.  
Offering a small smile, she tucked her hair behind her ear.  
"Did you sleep well?"

While Takasugi was not expecting any form of kindness from the woman, she sounded genuinely interested, and he sighed, shifting his gaze.  
"Not really..."  
The woman placed a hand on his shoulder, still smiling.  
"Is it because you're not used to sleeping alone?"  
Takasugi glanced up at her, frowning. Though he was sure there was a right answer to that question, he wasn't sure which it was.  
By saying no- it could mean that that's not the reason, he's used to it.  
Or it could mean, that's not the reason, he was thinking about the small spat.  
By saying yes, well, that just meant that was the reason. But made it sound as if he was too concerned...

"You could say that." A neutral answer was dubbed best, and Rein nodded.  
"Well, I understand... But you really didn't need to get so upset last night... You really crossed a line..."  
The woman shifted her gaze, immediately scowling.  
"Is that common place? Do you normally treat me that way? And I just let you?" Her voice hardened, and he frowned up at her.  
"I could ask you the same thing. Do you think it was okay for you to call me _his_ name? Have you not considered the fact that was your own fault?"  
His question seemed to irk her, and she glared at him.

"It didn't feel right... You must normally be gentle with me or something... No- I take that back...  
I have a feeling I like things rough, but you didn't do it right... How long have we been married? And you still don't know how to-"  
"Do not push it." Takasugi commanded in a low tone. A dark grin curled his lips, and he held her gaze with his own.  
"Two years. And on top of that, you normally listen to me, things don't get so out of hand when you do. I know you didn't mean what you said last night-"

"The horrible husband thing?" Rein asked, and he continued to glower at her.  
"I meant it. You slept with your back to me all night. Left without a single word.  
Haven't kissed me- properly- hugged me, or even said anything remotely nice.  
You haven't smiled at me, or even acted as if you even enjoyed my company... How do you think I feel?"  
The woman crossed her arms, and shifted her gaze.  
Though she had been glaring at him, her expression softened, and she sighed.  
"It's like I'm not good enough... Why are you even with me if you aren't happy?"

Takasugi's eye widened, and he stared at her slightly surprised. He hadn't said he was unhappy, just that she hadn't been listening!  
This conversation had been turned around on him- how could he recover?! How could he answer such a question? Was it true?  
That he hadn't paid her any attention, or made her comfortable? He thought he had... What didn't he do?  
He bought her a dress, and let her sleep in... Erm... He bought her a water... He... What else had he done?  
He rewarded her for not making a big deal about the bad client! Yeah, they had a dinner at sunset together... But what else?

Really, he couldn't think of anything else. Now he felt stupid.  
Damn, he knew women needed attention an what not, but it just wasn't his style to cuddle, or whatever she was expecting.  
What was she expecting? He still needed time to get used to her... But he couldn't exactly say that.

"It's not that I am displeased with you, rather, you have been behaving differently since you've returned..."  
His discomfort was apparent when he folded his hands in front of his mouth.  
Rein's gaze lowered and she nodded slowly, trying to believe him.  
But she just couldn't. Her intuition kept telling her this wasn't the truth...

"I- I understand... But, even now you don't sound entirely sure of yourself... I found a picture of us..."  
The moment she mentioned the picture, an almost inaudible gasp sounded. Takasugi's eye widened, and he shifted his gaze.  
"Tell me this... Where are my things?"  
Slightly stumped, Takasugi racked his mind for a rebuttal. Rein stared at the carpeted floor beneath her feet, waiting for an answer.  
The man started to stutter something about the dry cleaner's, and upon realizing that he had no response, she formed her own conclusion.  
"You- You threw it all away, didn't you? You thought I would die!"

Her words caused him to gape at her. Was this what having a wife was like?  
Always defending yourself against her assumptions, and accusations?!  
Obviously the woman hadn't remembered too much- she still believed they were married, but why was she so defensive?!  
So damn clingy, in a sense.  
"I- I didn't!" He responded, and she pouted at him.  
"Really... I expected you to at least have some faith in me... Already trying to forget me huh?  
How long was I out? A month? Only a month, and you've changed so much?  
I think I remember you being really nice, and laughing with me all the time...  
Buying me something really sweet... That I like to eat..."

She placed a finger to her chin and gazed at the ceiling.  
"Some kind of bread... but you snatched it away one day..."  
"What? I'd never snatch your bread away!" Takasugi defended, now trying to remember his own past.  
What the hell was the woman talking about?!

"You've always been a jerk! Why did we get married?!"  
Enraged by her constant blabbering, Takasugi jumped to his feet and grabbed Rein's collar.  
"Do not toy with me... You haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!"  
The man glared at her, and she sulked.  
"You're doing it again..."  
"Huh?" He asked completely confused. The woman raised a hand to her face, and her eyes began to brew fresh tears.  
"You're threatening me again! You don't love me at all! You haven't even said you do, or acknowledged the fact that I organized our room!"  
Thoroughly perplexed Takasugi released the woman. When she shifted her gaze, and a silent tear rolled down her check.  
_**'She's crying?! What did I do?! Why is she crying?! What am I supposed to say?! She wants me to say I love her, but- Shit!'  
**_Internally panicking, Takasugi stared at her wide eyed, and frozen in place.  
The woman continued to quietly cry, and he tried to find something to say.  
"Erm, I..." She gazed at him, looking increasingly grieved, and lonely.  
His attempt at speaking only brought more attention to him; putting him on the spot.  
The expression only further baffled him. This wasn't normal! Why was she so different?!

"You..." She continued to watch him expectantly, and he sighed.  
"Uh, I... Do not dislike you..." He murmured, and she shook her head.  
"You can't even say you love me! You don't! How could I have been so stupid as to marry you?! I want a divorce!"  
Leaving it at that Rein rushed from the room. Takasugi stared after her completely stunned.  
Was he that bad? What had he done!? Why was she in such an 'emotional ruin' type mood?

_'That damn woman...' _Sighing to himself, Takasugi laced a hand through his hair, and shook his head.  
He sat back down, and pushed his pipe to his lips.  
Unable to push Rein's words from his mind he allowed his eye to wander to the ceiling.  
_'This is becoming bothersome... She really seems to believe we are married, which was probably why she's acting like this... Hmph...'_


	13. That Old Flame

After a short moment of contemplation, Takasugi decided that he had to go after Rein.  
Most likely she had run to Kawakami acting all weird, and the deaf man would get his credit.  
Possibly even steal his husband position. So tedious. Leaving his office, he started back towards the bedrooms.  
It didn't take long to find Rein, she was sitting on the floor of the storage room, looking at a picture.  
The woman didn't even glance at him when he walked to her side and sat down.  
"You like that?" It was the only question he could think to ask.  
While the picture was of them looking as though they hated each other, it was the only one that existed.  
Rein slowly nodded, and he sighed. Since he didn't know what else to say, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  
Rein peered at him obviously distressed.  
"Stop making that face..."

Upon hearing his words, she shifted her gaze, and Takasugi pushed his pipe to his lips.  
A moment passed and Rein leaned onto his shoulder. Though the motion was slightly unexpected, Takasugi tightened his arm around her.  
"Oi... if you feel as though I have not treated you well enough, I'll have you know that was not my intention..."  
Peering up at him, Rein nodded before returning her attention to the picture.  
"So is this what we did for work?"  
"You could say that... Mostly you. I find the jobs, you take care of them."  
Slowly nodding, Rein handed Takasugi the picture. He gazed at it for a moment, before sliding it into the chest behind them.  
Without warning the man gripped her hand and stood up.  
"Come on..." Curiosity raised the woman's eyebrow, and Takasugi shifted his gaze.

If she wasn't satisfied, he would at least try to fix it. There had to be something he could do.  
It was a bad idea to let this woman inquire about a divorce. As he helped Rein up, he offered his pipe.  
She took it, and stared at the embers curiously. When she took a puff of the tobacco she didn't cough, so Rein assumed she was a smoker.  
Takasugi led her from the room, still holding the woman's hand.  
"So what would you like to do today? I'll take a break from working." Glancing down at the woman, Takasugi was met with a small smile.  
"Well, there's got to be something you like to do... Right? Like..." The woman placed a finger to her lips, staring at the plain white walls.  
"Painting."

Unable to contain the immediate scowl that furrowed his brow, Takasugi glared down at her. She had to be making fun of him. _Had_ to be.  
But she looked innocent enough...  
Sighing he agreed.  
"Alright..."

* * *

Though he still suspected that the woman was ridiculing him in some manner, he led her to a room that he made his men move the random easel and canvas to.  
Apparently when he was drunk a shipment came in, and he stole it.  
Carried it to his room, and stripped his clothes on the way up the stairs.  
The reasoning behind his actions was 'There's a million of these fucking things.  
They're not gonna notice' and he had been right. It was another small storage room, surrounded in old wooden walls and floors.  
There were a few miscellaneous items on the shelves on either side of the room, and a square window against the far wall.  
The room was slightly warm, and the smell of dust hung in the air. Rein walked to the window, and pulled it open.  
A fresh breeze rolled through the small opening, chilling the room.

When Takasugi motioned to the easel, Rein walked straight to it and pulled the cover away.  
The old painting that the man had made was still in place, and Rein studied it.  
"You did this?" She asked, and Takasugi walked to her side. It was of various things.  
In one corner a bowl of fruit sat, just because people always paint those. In the middle a woman smoking a cigarette.  
There was a sword, and shamisen.  
Turning to the man, she offered a small smile.  
"You're really good! This is nice. We should hang it up."  
Her statement caught him off guard, he had never looked at the painting again, much less even considered hanging it.  
For some reason, he felt his cheeks flush. Rein placed a hand on his chest, still looking at the picture.  
"It's really detailed... How long did this take?"  
Shrugging, Takasugi pulled it from the easel. She watched him as he grabbed a fresh canvas and replaced it.  
The woman took a drag from his pipe, and glanced around the room.  
Takasugi grabbed a small tray, and set up some different shades of paint.  
He strapped the tray to the easel, and Rein turned to him.

"I bet you're more skilled then I am, so don't laugh at me, okay?"  
A smirk curled her lips, and Takasugi fixed his eye on her, offering paint brush.  
She took it, and immediately dipped it in a shade of red.  
The woman started to randomly drag the brush across the canvas, and Takasugi scowled.  
"Oi! That's my side! You stay on yours!"  
Gazing up at him, Rain frowned.  
"But isn't marriage about sharing and what not?"  
Sighing, Takasugi shifted his gaze. He mumbled a "I guess" and her smirk widened.  
The moment he dipped his brush in the paint and started to place it to the canvas, Rein attacked his paintbrush.  
The woman had blocked his brush with her own, and he gazed at her wide eyed.  
Deviously smiling she pushed his brush away.

Though it was irritating, Takasugi eyed Rein curiously.  
She was obviously having fun. She pushed the paint brush away, and when he tried to oppose her she put up a good fight.  
Finally getting his brush to the canvas Takasugi was practically shocked when the woman smudged paint on his face.  
She started to snicker, and he scowled at her.  
Not allowing the sinister expression sway her, she painted a long line across his cheek; just under the spot she had previously made.  
Laughing, Rein tried to continue, but Takasugi pushed her brush away, and smudged a long purple line across her forehead.  
Instead of getting angry, the woman laughed louder. Odd.

Admittedly, Takasugi couldn't recall a single time he had seen Rein laugh.  
Especially lacking her usual bitter tone. Without even thinking about it, he allowed a small smirk to curl his lips.  
Yet it wasn't his regular sinister expression, just simply a smile; which was not a usual reaction for him.  
Gripping his yukata Rein raised her brush as if to paint on him again, but she was laughing to hard to complete the motion.  
Upon realizing the lightheartedness that had settled over them, Takasugi shifted his gaze.  
This woman, who had completely refused to even see him was now standing before him laughing.  
As if they were a couple... Well, she thought they were married, but _that_ wasn't _exactly_ his fault. Not exactly...

Well, maybe it was. But he was enjoying himself nonetheless.  
Though he still didn't feel completely comfortable with her, he couldn't help but reflect her smile.  
Without even thinking about it, he brought his lips to hers. Her laughter immediately stopped, and she froze.  
Probably due to the shock. The man was being surprisingly gentle, and though something still didn't feel right Rein knew he was at least trying.  
She kissed him back, and Takasugi slowly walked her against the wall behind the easel.  
Their paintbrushes dropped to the wooden floor below, yet neither of them seemed to care.  
Takasugi placed one of his hands on the wall, leaning into Rein.  
His arm wrapped around the small of her back, and she slipped her free hand in his yukata resting her hand on his shoulder.

A bird could be heard singing outside of the window, and just as Takasugi started to move a bit closer towards the opening Rein tightened her grip on his yukata.  
She dug her nails into his back and broke their kiss off.  
"Wait- I'll fall..."  
Startled, Takasugi shifted his gaze between the woman and the open window.  
Shit- he had almost forgotten he had kicked her through a window before... Subconscious phobia, maybe?

"What?" The woman asked after noticing the guilty expression that had taken him.  
"Erm, nothing... I just- You won't- Uh... I wouldn't let you fall..."  
His sudden flustered response piqued Rein's curiosity, and a slight frown creased her brow.  
Releasing the woman, Takasugi moved back to the easel. The fact that he immediately stopped, and walked away was unsettling.  
What did he know? What had caused him to make such face? Perplexed, Rein followed after him.  
He picked the paintbrushes up, and offered her one.  
_'That's all? He got nervous after one kiss?'_

For some reason, Takasugi seemed to be lost in his thoughts.  
Reflecting on the past, maybe?


	14. Women Hate Rejection

After painting the most random array of colors and lines, Rein turned to Takasugi.  
"Oi, your hand is bigger then mine right?"  
The question seemed random, and he shrugged. Grabbing the mans wrist, Rein placed her hand to his.  
"It is... Here, do this..." Not a single warning was given before she started to paint over his hand in a bright shade of yellow.  
Though he moved to snatch his hand away, Rein firmly gripped his wrist.  
"What are you doing?! Stop!"  
"Wait- calm down..." She commanded, sounding ridiculously like her old self.  
Sighing, Takasugi shifted his gaze as she completely covered his palm with color.  
"Okay, now this..."  
The woman pushed his palm to the center of the canvas.  
When he pulled away there was a bright hand print left in the midst of the chaotic sweep of colors.  
"Now do mine..." Offering her palm, Rein smiled up at Takasugi.  
He raised an eyebrow to the woman, before slathering purple over her palm.  
She lightly snickered, claiming that it tickled, and though Takasugi thought this was stupid, he continued.  
When the man finished, Rein placed her hand in the center of his previous print.  
When she pulled away her own palm print was outlined by Takasugi's.  
Though it was a small gesture, the man had never even considered that they would make something sentimental together... Interesting.

* * *

Later in the evening they sat on his bed, neither of them talking.  
The two had washed the paint from their faces, and shared a small meal.  
Rein had seemed to enjoy her day with Takasugi, and though he would never admit it, so did he.  
After another short while of silence, Rein turned to the man.  
"So what was our first night together like? Being married, that is..."  
More questions that caught him off guard. More lies that he would have to fabricate, just to satisfy the woman.  
Though he didn't want to keep making false memories, he couldn't simply say "Hey, guess what honey. We aren't actually married, I just couldn't let your real boyfriend have you because he's a dick, and you're much better suited for me. But you're okay with that, right?".

Shifting his gaze, Takasugi sighed.  
"Well... It was like any other first night... You know, flowers and stuff..."  
What else was there supposed to be? He really just couldn't think of this sort of thing right now.  
"Oh... Well, erm... Okay... What about kids? Have we ever talked about the future?"  
Jaw immediately dropping, Takasugi looked away. Rein peered at him curiously, as the man stared at the wall.  
What sort of answer could he give to that?! Reduced to nothing but stammering he wished she had asked _anything_ but that. Kids?  
They weren't even _really_ married! How could he discuss having children with her?!  
"W- Well- We uh... It's not- I-"  
Frowning, Rein leaned into the man, placing her hand over his.  
"Oi, don't get so nervous..."

Well, it wasn't like he was trying to.  
But with her asking weird questions, and touching him it was damn near impossible to think of anything to say.  
Sighing Rein shifted her gaze.  
"Your hands are rough..." The woman raised his hand with her own and examined his fingers.  
This was getting too awkward. Rein was never this gentle, with anybody.  
It would be hard to believe that she could even be so nice to Gintoki...  
Though Takasugi felt as though he should be celebrating his victory over the silver haired samurai, Rein was distracting.  
"Do you play an instrument?" The woman traced her fingers over the tips of his, and he slowly nodded.  
"I can play the shamisen..."  
A slight smirk curled Reins lips as he spoke.  
"Really? You're so talented, artistically speaking... And I assume you are just as skilled with the blade?"  
Nodding again, Takasugi glanced down at her. He was obviously uncomfortable.  
Maybe even a bit embarrassed. Snickering at his expression Rein stood up.  
Without warning, the woman started to unzip her black armour, and Takasugi gasped.  
"Wh- What are you doing?!"  
Frowning in confusion Rein slowly pulled the suit off.  
"Getting ready for bed?" It was more of a statement, and Takasugi shifted his gaze.  
Of course. Why else would she be stripping right in front of him?  
Clothed in her undergarments Rein crawled onto the bed, and moved behind the man who was silently smoking his pipe.  
The woman wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and placed her lips beside his ear.  
"Oi... If I've been gone for a month, does that mean you've had to go without any _affection_?"  
She spoke in a low suggestive tone, and he could feel her breath on his neck.

Takasugi's eye widened, and he almost dropped his pipe.  
"Erm, I have..." He responded in a slightly awkward tone; trying to sound as calm as possible.  
To his amazement, Rein tugged his shoulder back, and locked their lips together.  
The woman pushed him back on the bed and positioned herself over him as he moved his legs up as well.  
Allowing his pipe to fall to the floor, Takasugi laced a hand through her hair; eagerly returning her kiss.  
The woman's body was covered in scars, of course, all had healed over, but despite that fact her skin was still ridiculously smooth.  
Their passion grew, and soon Rein was pushing his yukata open. Leaning up, Takasugi slipped his arms from the cloth, and stole her lips again.  
He gently traced one hand over neck, using the other to grip her thigh.  
Pushing his tongue into her mouth, he earned a small moan from the woman, which only reminded him of the last time they had been in this position.

The fact that she had called him "Gin" was still fresh in his mind.  
In an attempt to shake the thought he tried to focus on Rein, and live in the heat of the moment.  
But still. He couldn't help but think she was only doing this because she thought they were married...  
That if she didn't believe that, then she wouldn't be here- She'd be with Gintoki.  
Despite his attempts to push the thoughts from his mind, he couldn't silence himself.  
If Rein hadn't lost her memory, she would undoubtedly be somewhere else.  
The thought of her not really wanting him crossed the man, and he pulled away from her, shifting his gaze.

Confused, Rein frowned at him. Why was he making a guilty puppy look?  
"What is it?" She asked, panting. Takasugi shook his head, and the woman placed her hands on his shoulder, pinning him down.  
She didn't ask again, just started to slowly kiss her way down his chest.  
Her hands started to tug at the belt around his yukata. Slightly dismayed, Takasugi pushed himself up, and gripped her hands.  
"Wait..."  
Frowning up at the man, Rein leaned back.  
"What?"  
Shifting his gaze, Takasugi tried to think of something to say.  
Instead of listening to him, Rein crawled over the man, and softly stole his lips.  
Though he seemed hesitant, he kissed her back.  
Her hands wandered to his belt again, and he broke the kiss, stopping her once again.  
"I _said_ wait."

Scowling at the man Rein decided to charge at his belt.  
Practically stunned, he blocked her in every way possible; smacking her hands, grabbing her wrists.  
She seemed determined to disrobe him- He was about to get raped!  
"Take- the fucking yukata off!" She commanded, in a low stubborn voice, still wrestling to grab his belt.  
"No- Damn it Rein! I said wait! I don't _want_ to!" He hissed in response, defending his manhood.  
He would not allow a woman to rape _him_! That was preposterous! She should be on the receiving end of this.  
Immediately stopping, Rein dropped her head.  
"You- You don't... Want to?"  
"NO!" He snapped, not realizing that his words had cut her like a knife.  
Shifting her gaze, Rein reached for his belt once more. Having had enough of this Takasugi shoved her, maybe a little too hard, off of himself.  
The woman landed on the floor, and peered up at him. It wasn't until he saw the expression she held that it donned on him.  
He had upset her again. Shit.

He couldn't help it! She had been stabbed (Countless times) and even kicked out of a second story window after being stabbed and still hadn't died.  
Rein had shoved her own sword through her stomach, that doesn't exactly give the appearance of fragility...  
"You... You won't even say you love me... And you won't make love to me either?"  
Put on the spot, Takasugi stared at her wide eyed. Shit. It had been going so well too...  
If only he could control his temper a little better...  
It didn't feel like he pushed her that hard... But then again, it wasn't like she weighed that much...

"It's not that- I just-"  
"Why am I even here? To be some walking shell of a wife, collecting dust with the rest of your things? To not even leave, just sit here and wait for you to return? And even when you do come back to me, we sleep as far away as possible, offering one another nothing but our backs? What the hell kind of marriage is this Shinsuke? What's the point?! I have no things, no life, and no love... I don't even have my memories... And you mean to tell me I can't even have _you_?"

Calmly raising to her feet, Rein walked to Takasugi's dresser.  
A thick silence hung in the air, as he tried to think of anything that could console the woman.

Takasugi stared at her back, as she leaned onto the dresser, seemingly crying.  
To his surprise, when she turned around, she was gripping a dagger.  
Damn it, he hadn't even realized that that was where she arranged some of his weapons...  
A bitter scowl spread across her face, and she flung the dagger towards the man.  
He barely even moved quickly enough, and the knife stuck into the mattress where he had been laying.  
Rein snatched another dagger from the dresser and stormed over to him.  
She stopped at the edge of the bed, glaring at the man who was leaning against the wall.

"I've had enough of this _shit_. You barely even give me straight answers, and you refuse to express even the slightest notion of adoration. To think that I used to sit around this ridiculous ass warehouse all day, just to wait on you hand and foot. Now you tell me you don't want me? What sort of man turns his wife down in such a manner? Touch me again, and I will be the last thing you ever touch... My patience has run thin, Shinsuke. _So very thin_. Something is wrong, and you _will_ tell me what it is. For the mean time, you consider my words. I will return to Bansai- as it _seems_ that is where I _belong_. You- If you love to work so much, then _work_ on a _fucking_ divorce."

Takasugi could do nothing but stare at the woman wide eyed, as stormed to the door, throwing the dagger to the ground.  
Wow, even when he tried to do something good it still went wrong. Maybe it was just the execution of his benevolence. Maybe

* * *

Of course, Rein returned to Kawakami's room after washing herself.  
Completely enraged, she let herself in and Bansai turned to face her.  
The man seemed to be slightly flustered at the sight of her bursting into his room in lingerie and scowling.  
After his short moment of "What the hell is going on here", he Sighed and held the covers up.  
Rein locked the door, and moved to his bed, crawling over him.  
When she was laying down, Kawakami wrapped his arms around the woman, and nuzzled into her neck.  
"You're stupid, I dare say."  
"Yeah, well, Shinsuke is stupid, and you work for him. What does that say about you?" She retorted, obviously annoyed.  
Snickering, Kawakami placed his lips to her neck.  
"So how's that divorce going?"


	15. Being Noble Sucks

Laying on his bed, Takasugi couldn't shake Rein's words from his mind.  
It wasn't until he smelled a hint of smoke that he sat up, and strained his eye to see the cause of the aroma.  
The room was dark, and the man remained in place, curiously glancing over the room.  
Soon, a small light caught his eye, which immediately widened. He had completely forgotten his damn pipe!  
It had fallen to the ground, and apparently the embers had taken to his rug.  
A flame started to lick at his mattress; spreading to his sleeve which was draped over the edge of the bed.  
"Shit!" He hissed, scowling to himself. Growing more angry, then alarmed, the man jumped to his feet, and snuffed the flame of his yukata out.  
Takasugi snatched the covers off of his bed. He threw the blankets over the small fire, and the room fell completely dark.  
He couldn't sleep.  
This marriage thing was getting too complicated, and despite the fact that he had chosen not to take advantage of Rein, karma seemed to be against him.  
Sighing, he plopped down on his mattress, not bothering to replace his sheets.  
The man seemed to be destined to remain awake, thinking of his "wife's" harsh words.  
A shell of a wife, collecting dust with the rest of his things, huh? Was it really like that?  
He didn't think so, but apparently she saw things otherwise.

* * *

"Oi, did you hear something?" Lightly nudging Rein, Kawakami raised his head to try to peer at her through the darkness.  
The woman didn't respond, and with the steady rhythm of her breathing, he assumed she was sleeping.  
Sighing, he tightened his grasp on the woman, pulling her against himself.  
He knew she had to leave, and that it was impossible for her to stay with him.  
Unable to help himself, he sighed again, and tucked his chin into her shoulder.  
The man traced the tips of his fingers over the scars of Rein's stomach as a wave of desolation washed over him.  
It would be selfish to keep her for himself.  
She had to return to Gintoki, and he would help his enemy reunite with the one woman of whom he truly enjoyed.  
Not for Gintoki's sake, but for Rein's. If those two didn't work, then his time would come.  
He would be there for her, but until that day, Kawakami would remain as far away as possible.  
Making Rein leave would probably be the most difficult part of his plan, but it was necessary.  
The constant drama between her and Takasugi didn't help either. Not in the slightest.  
And though the man was both his friend, and boss, Kawakami couldn't help but feel bitter towards this marriage thing.  
It had gone too far, and before it could progress, he had to put an end to it.  
He couldn't exactly tell Rein it was a lie, that would only cause more issues, and make him look bad.  
His approach to the situation had to be a bit more discreet.  
Something that Takasugi wouldn't relate back to him, and couldn't blame him for.  
She would have to be gone before his boss awoke, just to be on the safe side.  
Maybe if it looked like Rein ran away, but Kawakami would have to help her.  
She didn't know where to go.  
And while he didn't want anything to do with the Yorozura, there was a certain friend of Rein's that could get her there...

A dull ache settled over him, yet it wasn't physical. This would have to be done quickly.  
As soon as possible. Before Rein had another chance to crawl into his bed, grieving over the fact that her own "husband" didn't even want her.  
Before he could grow any closer to the woman, or reveal himself to her.  
She could never know his true feelings, as if would only further complicate her already chaotic life.  
But for nights like this, all he could do was hope that he could comfort her by simply being there for the woman.  
Time like this, he could simply indulge in the fantasy of her actually being with him because she wanted to- not because he was her last resort.  
And while he could hear that she loved him back in her tune, it wasn't the right form of love; Not the same. Undeniably different.  
The possibility of growth was present, but once again, he would not impose on her life; Relationships.  
Placing his lips to her neck, he closed his eyes, This was the last time she would be here like this.  
The last time she would grieve over her failed "marriage" and pretend not to cry.  
She had to leave in the morning, and even if something got in the way again, he would dedicate his life to banishing her from his presence.  
As dramatically romantic as it sounded, she would have no clue.  
Kawakami would take to desperate measures to guarantee that he would be a friend to her.  
Nothing more, nothing less.  
Simply the shadow of a flame.

* * *

When morning arrived Kawakami was awoken by the woman in his arms turning to face him.  
She tucked her head into his chest, and he could feel the moisture of her eyes. Crying so early.  
Over something that didn't even exist.  
Though he wanted to pretend to be asleep, he couldn't help but lace a hand through her hair; just to reassure her.  
She didn't move, and he internally writhed in guilt. If only he could tell her the truth...  
If Matako was at the warehouse, she would definitely set Rein straight.  
But that woman was off on some personal business. Something about an old friend on their deathbed, how tedious.  
Instead of offering words he softly placed his lips to her forehead.  
"Why doesn't he love me?" Rein asked in a small voice which seemed to grip Kawakami's heart.  
"Well... I assume it's complicated..."  
Gazing up at the man, Rein frowned.  
"But he wont even pretend to like me... He could at least fake it, but he's so cruel..."  
"So are you, I dare say..." Kawakami sighed, pulling the woman against himself again.

His statement confused Rein, and she tried to make sense of his words.  
None was to be found, and another long low sigh parted his lips.  
"You're leaving today... And don't come back."  
"What? Leaving?" Rein asked, pushing herself away from the man.  
She leaned up, unable to hide her worry.  
Lifting himself to his elbow, Kawakami shifted his gaze, and slowly nodded.  
"Yes."

"But- What about Shinsuke? What about the divorce? What about you?"  
Her eyes seemed to bore into him, and he held her gaze, forcing an irritated scowl.  
The expression was alarmingly convincing, and Rein's eyebrows raised in confusion.  
Leaning into the woman, Kawakami brought his lips to her ear.  
"If you return... I will kill you myself, I dare say. When you leave, do _not_ come back. We have separate lives, go your own way."

A small gasp sounded, and Kawakami pulled away from the woman, laying back down.  
Though he wanted to go back to sleep, he knew Rein would most likely not lay back down with him.  
Not after such harsh words. Words that burnt the tip of his tongue and seemed to carry the weight of the world, yet needed to be spoken.  
For her sake.  
Rein, appeared to be stunned by his statement, and stared down at him in confusion.  
"But- But... Bansai... Don't you-"  
"Stop." He couldn't let her ask him.  
It was obvious what she was thinking. And her tune started to change. Shit.  
She was becoming attached to him. Rein was starting to love him, and he had to stop it. _Had_ to.  
There was no other choice. But he couldn't force himself to be mean to her.  
Even the thought of mistreating the woman caused grief to twinge inside of him.  
And now more then ever, dejection settled over Rein.

"Stop crying. It doesn't fit you, I dare say." Reaching up, he wiped a steam of tears from her cheeks.  
"But, you have to! Even if you're his friend, you're always-"

"No. I'm not. The only thing I do is give you the illusion of security. But you should know, that upon his command, I cannot protect you. Do you see this scar?"  
Sitting up, Kawakami traced his fingers over an old wound on her shoulder. Rein nodded, and he shifted his gaze.

"I did this to you. I've stabbed you before, because I was told to. It's not my job to help you. Or even care, I dare say. I am simply here because you cannot remember your old battles. Your grudges, or yourself for that matter. Your blood soaks these grounds. My blade and his as well. For that, you hate us. Shinsuke, and myself. You don't belong here."

Shaking her head, Rein tightened her jaw.  
"I don't believe you... You would never-"  
"Do I need to kick you out of a window for you to remember? Maybe set you up to die, or throw a penis in a box? Should I try to rape you, or chain you up to restore your memory? Maybe replicate the "death" of your sister? You do not need to be here. With either of us."

His words triggered a hazy flash of memories, and Rein averted her gaze.  
"B- Bansai..."  
The man turned his back to her, and draped his legs over the edge of his bed.  
It would be impossible to sleep now. Sighing he pulled his glasses from the table, and slipped them on.  
Though he was doing the right thing, his throat started to grow tight. For some reason, Reins song didn't change.  
She remained in place for a moment, eying his covers. Soon, the woman scooted towards him.  
She wrapped her arms around his torso, and placed her lips against his trapezious muscle, just between his neck and shoulder.  
"I still lo-"  
"_Don't_ say it. Do _not _say it. You need to leave."  
Understanding seemed to cross Rein, but despite that fact, she couldn't help but want to cry again.  
He was telling her the truth, as ruthless as it may have been.  
Running a hand through his hair, Kawakami sighed for the umpteenth time.  
Not a single second could be wasted like this.  
With Rein expressing affection, and her emotion pouring out into her tune, He had to get up.  
Had to make her go now; before he tried to keep her.


	16. Farewell

Barely even a minute passed before Kawakami rose to his feet.  
Rein unwillingly released the man, and scooted to the edge of the bed; sitting.  
"I have you're old yukata. Let's get ready..." Kawakami sighed, moving across the room and to a pair of drawers.  
The man pulled out a black yukata, and handed it to the woman.  
Though she couldn't see his eyes, she knew he was gazing down at her, and she maintained the eye contact, accepting said robe.  
The two showered and got dressed, both attempting to mask their emotions; opting to be as cold to one another as possible.  
Memories seemed to flood Rein, and though they were hazy, she could still make out some past events.  
Things like actually being homeless, and meeting Takasugi, and Kawakami.  
Fighting with them, and also some other people. Gintoki and a cop. Yet she couldn't remember the officer's name...

When Rein exited the bathroom, Takasugi was passing by.  
He glanced at her, and stopped; seeming to be trying to think of something to say.  
"Shinsuke... It was my scars wasn't it?" Not bothering to wait for his words, Rein tried to find a reason for his hesitance towards her.  
She still wasn't clear on the marriage fact, but the only reason she could see for him being turned off by her was her battle wounds.  
Frowning, Takasugi eyed her.  
"What?"  
"My scars... That's why you don't want me? Because I'm not some unscathed, beauty with a heart of gold or something? Is that why?"

"I'm not doing this. You're reasoning process must have been affected when you got injured. I will not attempt to console you. You are not weak, you can handle life. Yourself. When I'm through with work today, we can talk. Until then, leave me be."  
With that, he walked away, obviously irritated by the woman. She scowled after him, taking a step in his direction.  
"I remember you. I know exactly what we are!" She hissed, and even though it wasn't exactly true, she earned a slight gasp from the man.  
He didn't turn to face her, and she was unable to see the immediate scowl that crept across his face.  
"Then you won't be surprised when I decide to dispose of you."  
His words stunned Rein, and Takasugi continued away as if they hadn't spoken at all.  
Confusion shot though Rein, and she questioned their relationship.  
She was pretty sure that her "husband" had just threatened her life...

* * *

Back in Kawakami's room, Rein sat on his bed as he made a phone call.  
"Oi, Tsu. Rein is okay... Yeah... We'll she's got a problem."  
Kawakami explained the memory loss to Tsu, and the girl agreed to spend some time with Rein.  
When he hung up, he motioned to the door.  
"Let's go for a ride..."  
With her old Yukata, Rein looked like herself again. Stronger, more composed, and comfortable.  
Back when Chizuru and the Kiheitai worked together to capture Rein she had never received her shoes again.  
So Kawakami found her combat boots, and returned them to the woman.  
Upon first seeing them, she frowned but when she slipped them on, her eyes widened.  
"My dagger!"  
Memories never truly disappear.  
After examining the dagger and tucking it back into her shoe, Rein followed Kawakami to the garage.

* * *

Kawakami knew that Takasugi was awake. Also that he was about to take a big risk, which could possibly get him in a lot of trouble.  
But most likely, he could get out of it, and Takasugi could get over it. In the end his friend would see it as favor, completely oblivious to his loss.  
And maybe if Takasugi wasn't how he was, Kawakami may have had more of a chance with Rein, or indulge in the heavy, nagging emotions he felt.  
Accept Rein's song, and also his own. But needless to say, that would not happen. This was for the best.

He uncovered a motorcycle, and got on. For some reason, her heart began to pound, but she obliged after a short moment of hesitation.  
"Open the door!" Kawakami commanded an Amanto who was reading a magazine on a stool.  
It nodded, and walked to a chain slowly raising the garage door.  
_'So familiar...' _Rein thought as the man started the bike.  
"Hold on to me as tightly as possible..." He smirked at her over his shoulder and she nodded; wrapping her arms around the man's torso.  
An embrace he would never feel again. One that he would willingly give to another man, simply for Rein's well being, and happiness.

_'At least he's not in spandex again...' _She mused. The moment the door opened wide enough, the bike lunged forward full throttle.  
Though it was exciting, for some reason Rein wasn't scared. Kawakami sped through red lights, and between small gaps of traffic at intersections.  
It was almost as if he would never stop. Laughing Rein glanced around at the disapproving expressions pedestrians were flashing the pair.  
Soon a siren sounded behind them, and Rein glanced back at a police car.

"Pull over! You are in violation of the- REIN!"  
Frowning at the sudden outburst of her name, Rein squinted at the officer.  
Did she know that guy? He had black hair, and she saw a cigarette drop from his mouth.  
The man sped up, and so did Kawakami. Now she remembered fighting with that man; the cop... But what was his name again?  
"PULL OVER!" The man commanded.  
"YOU HAVE A MISSING PERSON WITH YOU!"

_'Missing?' _Rein wondered, frowning in confusion at the man.  
The only thing he made her think of was mayonnaise. Strange.  
"Lean with the turns!" Kawakami yelled at her, and she glance at him, nodding.  
The bike started to round a series of corners, and their knees almost touched the road.  
Kawakami seemed to be laughing and Rein wondered why.  
This was all going according to plan. He had to take her on the bike to jog her memory.  
He had hoped to find Gintoki, but this officer guy would have to do.  
The man seemed to know Rein, and Kawakami couldn't help but laugh at how perfect this was playing out.  
Though it wasn't a van behind them this time, the car would do.  
Finding the right street, Kawakami nudged Rein with his leg, signaling for her to hold on.  
She did as instructed, slightly worried about the fact that he didn't seem to be turning. He was going straight for a sidewalk. A forest.

For some reason she knew it would be okay, but this could never be a comfortable scenario.  
The bike jumped over a ramp, and Rein grasped Kawakami even tighter as they landed.  
He quickly turned the bike to the side, and they stopped.  
The police car swerved to the side to avoid crashing, and Kawakami turned to Rein.  
"Are you alright?"  
She nodded, and he smirked.  
"You remember that?"  
Once again the woman nodded, and he felt relief creep over him.  
Obviously if he recreated past events she would regain her memory of them.  
Wonderful this would be easier then he had first suspected.  
"What's back here?" He asked, slowly navigating the bike over thick roots, and the forest ground.  
Taking a deep breath Rein frowned.  
"Erm... A wall? Stone wall?"  
The man nodded slowly, and continued to move deeper into the forest.  
Waves could be heard in the distance and salt water hung in the air.  
"And... The ocean... A castle?" She asked, and Kawakami turned to face her, stopping the bike.  
"Good. Let's go meet up with Otsu..." He murmured.

* * *

Half an hour later Kawakami re-introduced Rein to Tsu.  
The purple haired pop star vowed to help as much as she could, and Kawakami decided to leave them alone.  
He had done all that he could, and now his best bet was Tsu. He knew Gintoki and would help Rein.  
As long as he didn't have to bother with the silver haired samurai, he could remain in peace.  
As he got on the bike, Rein turned to him.  
"Wait- What about when we're finished?" She asked the man.  
He shook his head, not even bothering to look at her.  
"Go to the Yorozura. They'll help you out. As for me, or Shinsuke... Like I said, don't come back."  
The man seemed to fix his gaze on her, and Rein scowled in confusion.  
"But-"  
"No buts. Don't. Just don't." Leaving it at that, the man started the bike.  
Before he could leave, Rein gripped his Yukata.  
"Wait... Just once, we should..." Her voice was low, yet he knew what she had said.  
Lip reading was practically second nature to him.  
Gazing up at the woman, he lovingly cupped her jaw.  
Kawakami pulled her to his lips, closing his eyes, and ignoring the obviously confused expression Tsu was making.  
Rein passionately kissed him back, and though his heart skipped a beat, he knew this would be all.  
This would have to last him a life time.  
When he broke the kiss off the man barely whispered a single word against her lips.  
"Farewell..."  
Pulling back, Kawakami offered Rein a smirk, and sped off.  
Rein stared after him longingly, and sightly panicked. Now what?  
Where was the Yorozura? She didn't understand! She was just supposed to leave and never return?!  
Without Kawakami helping her, how was she supposed to know who to trust?  
But then again, he was still helping her. He had assisted her in leaving the warehouse, and getting back to town.  
And even now, the fact that a mutual friend was here to help Rein now, showed that Kawakami was indeed still helping her.

Once her jaw had closed, Tsu walked up behind Rein.  
"Oi! Come on, let's hang out like old times! - Smelly scarlet pancakes!"  
The purple haired pop star placed a hand on Rein's shoulder, smiling. Turning to face the girl, Rein nodded slowly.


	17. Just Like Old Times

"What is this?" Rein asked, completely stumped.  
"A car! - Putrid doctor legs!" Tsu jumped into the passenger side, and Rein hesitantly sat in the driver's seat.  
"This... This doesn't seem right..." Rein noted in a low voice. Waving her hand at the woman Tsu grinned.  
"It's fine! Just like old times! - Copper plated fuzzy burger!"  
Slowly nodding Rein stared at the girl.  
"Stop doing that! You know it annoys me! Damn it- now what do I do?!"  
Surprised by her sudden burst of memory Tsu continued to grin.  
"Well, first you would probably light a cigarette."  
The two peered around the car, as if looking for cigarettes.  
"I- I don't have any..." Rein stated, allowing a worried expression to take her.

Frowning Tsu nodded.  
"Okay... Um... Then you start the car... and you put your seat belt on. That peddle is gas that one is breaks..."  
The girl pointed to the levers beneath Rein's feet and the woman nodded.  
"Okay. Umm like this?" She asked, turning the key. Tsu nodded, and pointed to the woman's legs.  
"I think you're only supposed to use one foot... Now press the break, and shift the car into reverse..."  
The pop star talked Rein through backing out, and they safely made it onto the empty street.

"Okay now put it in drive, and keep doing that. - Rusty denture mongrel" Tsu instructed.  
Nodding Rein pressed the gas. The car lurched forward, and she slammed on the breaks.  
Both the women hit their heads on the surfaces in front of them; dash board and steering wheel.  
"OW! Rein, you have to keep your foot on the gas! - Silly carbon spatula!"  
"On the gas?" The woman asked, and the pop star nodded.

Sighing Rein did as instructed; slamming her foot on the gas.  
The car shot forward, and their surroundings blurred. Tsu started to laugh, and Rein stared at the road in front of her wide eyed.  
"TSU! I DON'T THINK THIS IS RIGHT! I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!"  
Still laughing the girl shook her head.  
"You're doing fine! Just keep going! - Tacky raisin strap on!"  
"But the road is ending! It's ending Tsu!" Rein screamed, and the girl nodded.  
"Turn! Turn!"

Turning the wheel Rein mowed over a bush and stop sign, unable to contain her horror.  
"Do you remember anything yet?! - Disco funnel captain!" Tsu excitedly asked and Rein shook her head.  
"NO!" she cried, as the car flew over a mail box.  
The vehicle seemed to be swerving all over the road, and Tsu continued to laugh maniacally.  
Thankful that there were no pedestrians or cars, Rein tried to steady the vehicle.  
They sped past some restaurant, where a young red headed girl was walking her ridiculously large dog.  
Upon seeing them, the dog started to chase them.  
The girl ran after the dog almost keeping up with the car at a speed or 140 kph.  
Rein started to scream at the sight of the dog that was chasing them.  
Tsu turned to face the dog, and started screaming too.  
"Quick! Light a cigarette! Hurry! Before it gets us! - Shitty kitten putty!" the pop star cried, and Rein shook her head, wide eyed.  
"I don't have any! I'm not a smoker! I already told you!"  
"Yes you are! If you don't have any we're gonna die! - Impending doom mangler!"  
Tsu yelled back, and Rein rounded a corner mowing down a wooden fence.  
The two screamed when they saw traffic crossing an intersection ahead.  
Slamming on the breaks, Rein continued to scream as she shifted into reverse.  
The dog stopped, and the girl reached the window.  
"E- Eyebrow-San!" She yelled and Rein screamed at her.

The woman sped backwards down the street, gazing out of the back window.  
The dog and girl started chasing after them again, and Rein continued to scream, unsure of what else to do.  
Turning the wheel Rein backed down another street, and into a driveway and turned the car off.  
Her and Tsu ducked down as the girl and dog ran by.

When the two were out of sight, Tsu started to cry.  
Rein gaped at the girl unsure of what was happening.  
"You didn't remember anything at all! Why are we running from Kagura-Chan and Sadaharu?! - Glossy cyanide vomit..."  
The pop star asked, and Rein frowned at her.  
"Kagura-Chan? Sadaharu? ... I think that dog bit me..."  
Tsu peered up at her, still crying.  
"But it was just like old times! - Pastel cherry grave yard!" The girl exclaimed, bringing her hands to her eyes.  
Sighing Rein leaned back in her chair.  
"I- I think I need a cigarette..."

* * *

Sitting in a restaurant with Tsu, Rein couldn't help but think of how Kawakami had told her not to return.  
It didn't make sense. If she was married to Shinsuke, then didn't she _have_ to return?  
After ditching the car in the place Tsu had first shown it to her, that caught a cab to some fancy restaurant.  
It didn't seem familiar, but since night was approaching, and they were hungry Rein agreed to stop for a meal.  
The restaurant had what could be considered mood lighting, and secluded booths.  
Tsu bought Rein a pack of cigarettes beforehand and the woman had attempted to smoke. She didn't cough, but it was strong.

The two sat in silence eating.  
Tsu was obviously upset that Rein hadn't remembered anything but Rein wondered why the hell the girl had tried to teach her to drive instead of actually showing her things they used to do.  
"So, have you seen Gintoki yet? Fluorescent gravy tiles."  
Peering up at Tsu, Rein wondered why the girl would inquire about the abusive Ex.  
"No. Why would I want to see him?" The woman asked, sounding a bit more irritated then intended.  
Tilting her head to the side, Tsu frowned.  
"Did that bastard lead you on again?! Didn't I tell you to diamond sparkly truck his ass?!"  
Confused Rein scowled.  
"Diamond spark-"  
"It _is_ you!" A voice cut Rein off, and she turned to face a short man with blond hair.  
"Hm?" She asked, and the man called his daughter over.  
"It's the woman who saved you dear! It's her!" He exclaimed, and Rein stared on curiously.  
A girl with long curly blond hair ran over to the man, and stared at Rein wide eyed.  
"You! I- I wish I could have seen you better at the time! Thank you for helping me and the other girls!"  
The girl bowed, and without warning wrapped her arms around Rein.

Unable to do anything but remain in place, wide eyed, two memories shot through Rein's mind.  
Girls in a warehouse, and two women in the castle Kawakami and her had spoken of earlier.  
This had to be one of the girls in the warehouse. She remembered the girl crying when the door creaked open.  
The group outside, and how the sun had burned their eyes.  
The group of men, and being stabbed through her shoulder.  
And Gintoki. Gintoki, and Hijikata... Hijikata had helped her afterwards, but Gintoki... What did he do? She yelled at him... Huh...

When the hug broke off, the girl excitedly chattered about how everything had gotten better for her and her family when she returned.  
That she was a waitress at their restaurant, and so forth. Ten minutes passed, and the two left after thanking her again. A heroic murderer?  
That made no sense... Tsu seemed surprised but Rein shrugged it off, told her she had helped around their store.  
The pop star was pleased that she had remembered something. When they finished eating, Rein felt the need to go to the Senshingumi.  
Though Tsu didn't want to cut their time short, Rein insisted that the girl drop her off in front of the barracks.

"Okay, call me when you get another phone! - Cotton turtle pantry!"  
Nodding Rein thanked her, and said goodbye.


	18. Finally Reunited

With nothing but moonlight to guide her path, Rein knew exactly what to do.  
She scaled the wall, and picked the most familiar window. Without warning, she took the dagger from her boot, and popped it open.  
"Toushi? Are you awake?" The woman climbed into the window, and shut it behind herself.  
The room was empty, but the mayonnaise bottles on the floor told her it was the right one...  
Sighing to herself, Rein walked to the bed. A familiar scent hung in the air, and she sat down trying to recall something.  
The only thing she could think of was her weapons being pulled off, and how she shouldn't get caught.  
With no where else to go, she slipped out of her shoes, and crawled under the covers of the bed.  
She had been here before... This was okay.

Comfort immediately crept over her, and before she knew it she was sleeping.  
The door slid open, and Rein lazily pulled the covers over her head, trying not to be seen.  
Apparently the movement was obvious and the door slowly slid closed.  
The sound of an unsheathing blade filled the air, and the light flipped on.  
"Who's there?" A man's voice asked.  
Being awoken in such a fashion was alarming, for lack of a better word.  
Rein tried to remain as still as possible, but foot steps approached her.  
Before she could think of anything to do, the covers were snatched back, and a blade was in her face.

Staring at the sword wide eyed, she peered up at the man holding it. He seemed to be frozen. Stunned.  
The raven haired cop stared at her wide eyed, his jaw slack.  
"Toushi?" Rein asked, and he dropped the blade.  
The man immediately hugged her, and Rein couldn't conceal her confusion.  
"Rein- You-..." Releasing the woman, Hijikata scowled.  
"Idiot! Why the hell would you ride on that damn bike without the helmet again?! Where have you been?!"  
Though he was whispering, he was obviously infuriated.  
Frowning in confusion, Rein sat back on the bed.  
"With my husband." She stated and the man's jaw dropped.  
"H- Husband?" Hijikata asked, his voice raising for a second, and she nodded.  
"Yeah. Why?"

Shaking his head, Hijikata picked his sword up and sheathed it.  
Obviously she wasn't talking about Gintoki. This didn't look good. Not at all. But on another note...  
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Why would you try to commit seppuku?! You should have just let me come over and clean you up as usual!"

"Clean me up? Seppuku?" Rein asked frowning.  
"Shit. You don't remember? Well... You _were_ diagnosed with amnesia before you ran away from the hospital..."  
The man sighed loudly, sitting on the bed beside Rein. He pulled a cigarette from his coat and lit it.  
Watching him, Rein pulled the smoke from his fingers.  
"I didn't run away... My husband came and got me."

"Husband? Who is this damn husband?!" Hijikata asked, and she shifted her gaze.  
Takasugi had killed somebody in front of her. This guy was a cop. Maybe she shouldn't tell him...  
The woman took a drag of the cigarette again, and offered it to Hijikata.  
"I'm gonna tell Gintoki you're here..." Just as he reached into his pocket, Rein grabbed his wrist.  
"Wait- No..."  
When Hijikata gazed at her, she looked worried. He didn't understand. What had happened? Why was Rein hiding from Gintoki, of all people?  
"What?" He asked, and she shifted her gaze.  
"Erm... Well... I- I just don't think I should see him... Him and I don't exactly get along, right?"  
Frowning in confusion Hijikata shook his head.  
"What are you talking about? You two are dating!"  
gasping Rein shook her head.  
"I'm having _another_ affair?! This one isn't so emotional, is it?!"  
"Emotional? _Another_ affair?! " Appalled by her outburst, Hijikata couldn't control the tone of his voice, Rein's eyes widened, and she shook her head.  
"That's why he hated me so much! I kept cheating on him! Oh god, what is going on?!"  
"Who are you talking about!? What the- No, no you're not confusing me- I'm calling Gintoki!"

Without another word, Hijikata pulled his phone out, and dialed the samurai.  
Rein tried to take his phone, and he dodged a flurry of failed attempts; jumping to his feet.  
When Gintoki answered he sounded as bad as usual, and Hijikata tried to hold the woman back.  
"Oi-Stop!" Hijikata commanded, as Rein grasped towards the phone.  
"Gintoki! Rein's here- Senshingumi!" That was all the man managed to say before Rein kicked the back of his leg and took the phone snapping it closed. The vice commander dropped to one knee, and glared up at the woman.  
"Toushi, why would you do that?! My husband told me to stay away from that man! He stole my wedding ring!"  
Jumping to his feet, Hijikata snatched the phone away from her.  
"Why would _I_?! You just kicked me!"  
Pouting Rein shook her head. "No I didn't..."  
"And wedding ring?! What the hell are you talking about!?"

Sighing loudly Rein walked to his window. She slid it open and started to climb out.  
"Now I have to leave before that man finds me..."  
Grasping her legs Hijikata pulled her back through the window. Crying out in surprise Rein tried to hold onto the wall, and fight her way through.  
It wasn't working. Hijikata snatched her back but the woman refused to let go.  
They remained like this for ten minutes, bickering at one another, completely disregarding their tone.  
Neither was able to get the upper hand, and soon the door was sliding open.

"Rein!" Their movement stopped and the two both turned to peer at Gintoki.  
This was not a situation they wanted to get caught in.  
"Perm-head! Grab her leg!" Hijikata commanded, and Rein started to struggle again.  
Running to the vice commander's side Gintoki grabbed Rein's leg, and the men seemed to over power her.  
That is, until she kicked them in the face and slithered off into the darkness outside.

"What the hell's wrong with her?!" Gintoki asked, and Hijikata glared at the window sighing.  
"Her husband told her you stole her wedding ring..."  
The response received an alarmed, confused stare.  
"Husband?"  
Hijikata shrugged, and stood up motioning to the window.  
"You should probably go after her... I don't think we need a crazy woman rampaging around town with no memory..."  
Nodding Gintoki stood up as well.

* * *

**A/N: In response to the review from an anonymous guest- That is so interesting. I knew that survival was possible, and of the solitary attempts, but I have never heard of that story before! I Love learning new things, and your review was awesome. Thank you for taking the time to teach me something new! :) I hope you enjoy my story!**


	19. People With Amnesia Need Strawberries

Once outside, Gintoki checked the walls of the Senshingumi for life.  
Rein couldn't have gotten far, he was sure of it. The man moved as silently as possible, only to see her on top of the wall.  
"Oi! Get back here stupid!"  
The woman peered back at him, and jumped down without responding. Soon she could be heard crying out in surprise.  
"Damn it! OKITA!"

She had been tripped again. By the same sadistic bastard as before.  
"Hobo-San. What are you doing here?" The man spoke in his usual monotone, and Rein glared up at him.  
Once again, the woman had landed on her ass, completely caught off guard. She had been looking at Gintoki. Not the sadist.  
Standing up, she crossed her arms.  
"If I had my sword I would kick your ass right now." The woman stated, and Okita flashed her a dark grin.  
"Oh? You think you could do that?"  
Be fore she could answer, Gintoki was jumping down beside her, and Rein stared at him wide eyed.  
"Boss!" Seeming a bit surprised, Okita stared at Gintoki, who was gazing straight at Rein.  
The woman didn't know what to do. She stared back, curiously.  
Okita watched the two, probably wondering what the hell was going on.  
He had heard of Rein's display of idiocy, but no details...

"Why are you running from me?" Gintoki asked in a low tone.  
Shifting her gaze, Rein tried to think of something to say. She wasn't supposed to be talking to the man. Why was he chasing after her?  
"Erm... Well... My ring..."  
"You never had a damn wedding ring, stupid! And what was with that kicking thing?! You kicked me in the face! What if I got a bruise or something?!"  
Startled, Rein stared at the man. Okita was the next to speak.  
"Oi, boss, I found her sneaking out of Hijikata-San's room again. Do I get to make her dress up?"  
Shaking his head, Gintoki sighed.  
"Not this time. The only one to dress her up will be me. Hopefully like one of the women out of jump, but for now..." Turning back to Rein, Gintoki shifted his gaze.  
"Oi, come with me. Let's go to your place, Oogushi-Kun gave me the key."  
Rein frowned at the man in confusion. Why would he have the key?  
He started past her, and grabbed her hand. Just as Rein was about to pull away he gazed down at her.  
"Look, cut it out... I'm sorry I yelled at you when you woke up... I didn't know you forgot..."  
Rein gazed at the man oddly. Something about this seemed okay. But Takasugi's words still hung in her mind...

"I- I don't think this is a good idea... And you're-"  
Gintoki glanced down at the woman with a raised eyebrow.  
She hadn't finished her sentence and stopped walking.  
Without a word she snatched her hand away, and held it close to her torso, gazing up at the man suspiciously.  
"Do you even know where you live?" He asked, crossing his arms.  
Shifting her gaze, Rein slowly shook her head.  
"Then shut up, and come with me."

* * *

Gintoki led her to his scooter, and after putting the helmet on Rein he climbed on.  
The man motioned for her to follow, and she hesitantly obliged.  
Soon they were moving down the street.  
Unlike Kawakami, Gintoki didn't speed. Rein gripped his Yukata, as they drove through some slightly familiar streets.  
Neither of them spoke, but Rein saw Gintoki glance back at her occasionally.  
It felt as though everything would be alright, and he was a trustworthy man, but Rein couldn't help but be weary of him.  
The man stopped in front of an abandoned looking warehouse, and motioned for her to get off.  
After turning the white scooter off, Gintoki walked to the door, and opened it.

Rein was astounded to see the place, and once Gintoki turned the light on, her eyes swept over the hardwood, and clean lines. The loft had an industrial feelt, yet was modern. The Yorozura closed the door behind himself, and walked to her side.  
"We kept it up for you... And cleaned the blood. I had to break the window, but it's fixed..."  
Rein peered up at him, noting the fatigued expression he held.  
"Gin... My husband-"  
"Husband? What are you talking about?" Gintoki interrupted, and Rein shifted her gaze.  
This guy wasn't a cop, right? And Takasugi had seemed to know Gintoki, so he should already know Takasugi.  
It wouldn't be a bad decision to tell him right?  
"Shinsuke." Rein stated, watching Gintoki for a reaction.  
His eyes widened, and he seemed to grow irritated.  
The man clenched his teeth, and his fists. He was obviously surprised.  
"Did you marry him _after_ you woke up!?"

Scowling, Rein stared up at Gintoki. Though he was irritated, she couldn't help but feel like laughing.  
His line of questioning is what annoyed her.  
"We've been married for two years!" She exclaimed, and he shook his head.  
"Two-?! No! No you haven't! You were with me before you went all crazy and tried to die!"  
Unable to contain himself, Gintoki wrapped his arms around the woman.  
She froze, wondering if this was alright. Who was telling her the truth?  
What Gintoki said would make sense of Kawakami's reaction to her calling Takasugi her husband.  
But then again, why would Takasugi lie about their relationship? It took a moment for Rein to return Gintoki's hug.  
She really couldn't stop herself. And soon she felt her eyes burning.  
A memory flashed before her, and she pulled away from the man, scowling. He stared down at her, and she crossed her arms.

"Where the hell are you every time I need you?! I tried to call you, idiot!"  
Gintoki's eyes widened and he averted his gaze.  
"I- I sat on my phone..."  
"That's all you have to say? You sat on your phone? Does that even make sense?! Lazy! It's a flip phone! How could you sit on it and turn it off?!"

Sighing, the man walked to her wall. He pulled the panel back, revealing a kitchen.  
Soon he returned with a container of strawberries.  
"I bought this earlier... Kagura said she saw you, so I thought you might come back..."  
"Really? You're going to eat instead of answer my questio-"  
Shoving a strawberry into her mouth, Gintoki ignored the fact that she was glaring daggers at him.  
He bit the tip off of an exceptionally large berry, and Rein quickly ate the one he had given her.  
"Oi! I could have choked on that thing!"  
"I have something else you could choke on." Gintoki smirked. He didn't want to talk about this.  
Wanted nothing more then to change the subject.  
All that mattered was that Rein was back- she would remember, and things would go pack to normal...  
Well, after he got his last bit of 'What the hell is wrong with you' out.

"Oi. You didn't even do it right... Seppuku... Shouldn't you have at least tied your legs together or something. Jigai, you know."  
"You would criticize my suicide attempt, wouldn't you?" Upon bitterly speaking the words, Rein's eyes widened.  
She gazed at the wooden floor behind Gintoki, knowing what she had done. The image was fresh, and the feeling almost surreal.

"I... Assume I should apologize..."  
While her history with Gintoki wasn't as clear, everything else was.  
After a fight she had come home and moped around, soon deciding to take her own life.  
Pressure built inside of the woman, and her chest tightened.  
Gintoki stopped eating, allowing a his brow to furrow.  
"Apologize? I want an explanation, not an apology. What happened with Chizuru?"  
Suddenly aloof, Rein peered at the man. It was as if she was looking through him, and all sign of expression fell from her face.  
"Chizuru, huh? Why does everybody know that name..?"  
Unable to contain a loud sigh Rein walked to the couch and sat down.  
She had to know more. It was clear that she did, but she couldn't willingly recall the details.  
Gintoki walked to the couch and sat down beside her, placing the strawberries on the table.  
Silence engulfed the two, and Rein leaned onto the armrest, draping her hand over her eyes as if sh was shielding herself from an imaginary sun.

"If you can't remember, don't push yourself..." Another long moment passed, and Gintoki was the first to speak.  
Rein offered a slight nod, still lost in thought.


	20. Triggering Memories is Easy

Moments passed, and Rein still hadn't stopped scowling.  
Gintoki leaned towards her, poking the spot between her eyebrows.  
"You'll get wrinkles if you don't stop..."  
Though she tried her best to glare at him, the deadpan expression he held was enough to make her snicker at the man.  
"Really? Wrinkles? You're- You're worried about wrinkles now?"  
Her snickering turned into a laugh, and Gintoki watched her silently pushing another berry into his mouth.  
It was apparent that Gintoki had been here with her before.  
How long ago, she wasn't sure of, but if he had the key to her house and everything remained in tact, it seemed as if he was trustworthy.  
For the first time, she admitted to herself that Takasugi may have been lying to her.  
No, he had lied to her. Gintoki didn't mug her, or attack her in some dark ally as she had imagined...

Rein watched Gintoki stand up and pull the wall away; revealing a TV.  
"I used your money to pay your utilities, and cable this month... The receipts are on your bed."  
The man stated, walking back to the couch. He grabbed the remote, and seated himself beside Rein who was simply observing him in silence.  
When the TV turned on Gintoki glanced at her.  
She had made the same expression when they first watched television together, and he couldn't help but smile.  
But then a question crossed his mind.  
If she though she was married to Takasugi- of whom he would _have_ to kill- and stayed with him for a few nights... Had they?  
What about Kawakami? Her letter to him called him a good kisser, and said they had slept together... He had to know.  
And though Rein appeared to be almost at peace, he couldn't help but ask.  
"Oi..."  
She gazed at him, as he leaned onto the small armrest behind himself.  
"Did you... You know... You said you were married... Did you erm... Consummate the uh, relationship?"  
Rein's eyes widened, and her jaw dropped.  
"N- No! I didn't!"  
Nodding slowly, he continued.  
"And uh, Kawakami... Your letter to him said he was a good kisser. And that you slept together at some point in time... Have you-"  
Gintoki's line of questioning seemed to only further fluster Rein, and she shook her head  
"No! **No! **I haven't done anything! Wh- Why are you asking me things like that?!"

A victorious grin curled gins lips, and he leaned towards her.  
"Just seeing who I need to kill... And by the way, if you pull some crazy shit like before, I'll kill you too..."

Though she smirked back at the man, Rein turned away. She couldn't possibly kiss him after Kissing Kawakami.  
That was just wrong. Instead she stood up, and Gintoki was obviously surprised.  
"Where's my bath tub?"  
Gintoki rose to his feet behind her, and walked to the hidden bathroom in the wall.  
He revealed the room to her, and she thanked him, lightly clutching his yukata as she passed.  
Of course, even though he had seen Rein before; without her memory he figured it would be best to give her some privacy...  
Gintoki opted to wait on the couch, and watch TV.

* * *

When Rein returned, she had draped a silky robe over herself and yawned.  
"I'm exhausted... It's time for bed..."  
Gintoki gazed at her, trying to suppress the urge to relieve the woman of her tempting choice of clothes.  
Rein started towards the stairs, apparently well aware of where her bed was.  
"Uh, I'll stay with you tonight. Just to make sure you're okay..."  
Turning to look at him Rein froze in place.  
"But that's not-"  
"Just so I know you're safe." Gintoki echoed, averting his gaze.  
A slight frown creased her brow, but soon she slowly nodded.  
She was sure that they had slept together before... At some time or another.  
And probably done a little more then that. Yeah, they had. She was sure of it, and shifted her gaze.  
Something about Gintoki seemed to reassure her, and even the thought of him sleeping with her seemed to trigger past emotions, or thoughts.  
Like trying to kill him. She had definitely wanted to at some point. And they fought on the back of a moving vehicle.  
The thought made her want to snicker, but the awkwardness of the situation prevented such a gesture.

"I- If you wish... But, how do you know I won't try to kill you again? Everything has been reset, right?"  
Smirking, Gintoki turned to TV off, and walked to her side.  
"We settled that already. _I_ killed _you_, remember?"

Rein snickered at his statement, recalling the scene in the hallway. Gintoki had pretty much won.. Sort of. Instead of actually hitting her, he just told her she was dead. Showing that he didn't like to harm women, and also that he didn't like to kill. If he didn't like to kill and she was a murderer... It was all coming back to her. She killed a man in front of him. He had caught her after she killed another man. Butterflies, and caterpillars. Gintoki had ignored her for three days. But what happened after that? The only thing she could think of was work. He constantly lectured her about not killing, and taking a more peaceful approach to things. He didn't like to kill. And though he had fought by her side, he hadn't done it wholeheartedly. Instead the man had been wishing to escape without conflict. To ignore the accosting pair. Chizuru, and Kuro.

Though she remembered so many events, Rein tried to act as though her head hadn't been flooded with countless memories. A silver suitcase stood by the door, and she had a feeling she knew what was inside... But she didn't want to check. Checking would be to admit that she had indeed taken her own sister's life. It would only verify her sins. Her shame. But if it was true, wasn't it also true that her sister constantly pursued her? Rein crawled into her bed, and Gintoki flipped the warehouse light off, opting to leave the dim wall light in the room on. Just like old times. Three swords were hung on the wall across from her bed, and Rein eyed them. They were hers. All of them, and she knew it.  
Gintoki laid beside her, and Rein couldn't help but eye him. Was this okay? They had been lovers, right? And from the way things looked, and what she could remember, they had never broken up... And she had been with Takasugi and Kawakami this whole time... Though the circumstances weren't exactly her fault she couldn't help but feel guilty. Gintoki had been waiting for her, every day and night, and she had been with his... Enemy?  
The man stared at the ceiling for a moment before shifting his gaze to her.

Smirking at him, Rein tried to think of something to say, but the urge to kiss him grew as powerful as a hydrogen bomb. He was offering a small smile, and she leaned over him; gazing at his lips. His expression faded into an obviously surprised, yet soft stare. Connecting their lips, Rein closed her eyes and Gintoki did the same; pushing himself up, and towards her. The man placed a hand to her jaw, as the other slid through her hair. The sensation of kissing him was indescribable. It was as if they had been separated forever, yet had finally found one another. As if they had run across a grassy field and collided into each other's arms like two freight trains, one having left Matsu at 4:26 pm. traveling at 65 mph, the other from Akita at 2:09 pm. at a speed of 45 mph.

Corny similes aside, Rein couldn't help but grip the man's yukata and pull him over herself. Just how long had they been apart? She knew he had been gone before she had made whatever decision she had, but now more then ever, she couldn't believe that he was the bad guy... Something about him... Gintoki bit down on her lower lip, and she wrapped one of her legs around his. Just how long had he been waiting for her? When Rein started to pull his yukata open, he pulled back. The woman stared up at him, chewing on her lower lip.

She always made that face when she- Wait, no, he couldn't let himself be distracted!  
"Rein..." The kiss had practically taken his breath away, and he gently placed a hand over hers, which was still gripping his shirt.  
"Not tonight..."  
Frowning, Rein leaned up.  
"You too? Seriously? You don't want me either? First the husband guy, and now you? What's wrong with me? It's my scars isn't it? Because I'm covered in-"  
"No, no. It's not your scars stupid, you still have your clothes on! And stop calling him that! I've already seen all your scars, _and they're kinda sexy_, but that's not the point!"  
Gintoki shifted his gaze, grinning when he spoke of the ghost of her wounds, and Rein stared up at him hopefully. At least somebody liked them...

"Next time though- Tonight, I just want to sleep... It feels like you've been gone forever and a day. Just slow down..."  
The man brushed his lips against hers one last time before he moved back into his spot beside her.  
"I- I don't think I've ever heard you say anything like that..." Glancing at Rein, Gintoki nodded.  
"Yeah, well... I don't think I ever heard you say you were married."

Holding the man's gaze, Rein couldn't help but laugh again.  
"Well, at least _somebody_ remembers everything."  
Her humor earned a smile from Gintoki, and he wrapped and arm around her waist, just happy to have her back.  
Honestly he had suspected Takasugi the whole time.  
He had also planned to break into that damn warehouse and find Rein, but since she was back now there was no need.  
Except to kill Takasugi. And he would. But one question still remained... How did she get back?  
Lost in his thoughts, Gintoki stared down at the covers, frowning. Noticing his expression, Rein placed a hand on his yukata.  
The man peered at her, his expression unchanging.  
Remembering laying with him before, Rein pushed the man over and crawled over him.  
As she laid her head on his chest, an image popped into her mind.  
"I think we were naked last time we did this..."  
"Yeah. We were." Gintoki grinned.


	21. A Single Match can Light the Whole Box

"I just wanted you to live with this... Not me."  
Staring at the woman wide eyed, Rein tried to make sense of what was happening.  
A woman identical to her was on her sword- had dragged herself down the blade and was now hugging her.  
"I couldn't take it. I love you..."  
Frowning, Rein remained frozen in place. This wasn't just a dream. It couldn't be.  
Rein laid the woman on the ground and her dark hair framed her face. To Rein's surprise, she proceeded to talk.  
She had spoken of the past, and as Rein averted her gaze the woman sat up.  
"Rei-Rei. You've got to wake up. Stop running away from your past. I did this- face yourself!"  
Frowning, Rein peered at her.  
"But Chi... I don't-" The name jumped from her mouth before she had even thought of it.  
"You're not a murderer. Have you forgotten what I had done? Stop being a coward, move forward and deal with life. Protect what you love, and have fun. Just don't stop moving; trying. You love that Gintoki guy right?"

Standing up, Chizuru offered her hand to Rein who was on her knees watching her.  
Rein accepted her hand and rose to her feet.  
Unable to help herself, Rein stared at the blood which was accumulating on Chizuru's pink yukata.  
"Come on, Rei." A warm smile curled Chizuru's lips, and Rein nodded. Before they could walk, they were standing by a lake.  
The sand under their feet was warm and the sun glared down at them from above.  
Studying her surroundings, Rein realized that this was the past. They were children.

"And when you find the man you love- you get married and have children. They'll kiss you when you cry and always try to protect you!"  
Chizuru grinned as she spoke, her voice clearly that of a child.  
Grabbing Rein's hand the girl pulled her along the beach. They laughed together, as Rein tried to keep up.  
"But Nee-nee, how do you know what will happen?"  
Rein asked, and Chizuru glanced back at her pushing a lock of her dark blond hair behind her ears.  
"Cause your heart will go crazy!"

They ran until they were by an ice cream stand and some man who was dressed like a joker approached them.  
"My, what pretty girls you are! You're the Itami sisters, right?" He offered an odd smile, and Rein frowned up at him.  
Chizuru peered at Rein as she slowly nodded.  
"Do you two want some ice cream?"

Surroundings immediately changing Rein was appalled to see Chizuru sitting on a bed with the man kissing.  
They were clearly older now, and Chizuru reached for her shirt. As the fabric slipped away from her skin she pushed the man down on the bed.  
He cried out, as a blade slipped through his chest.  
"Oh, silly me! I should have moved that, huh?"  
An eerie laugh filled the air, echoing off of the four walls of the room, as Chizuru pulled another blade from what seemed to be thin air.  
"You bitch! I should have know better! How-" Just as he began to struggle, Chizuru started to slam her dagger into the man.  
Shrieking in rage she tore into his flesh, and Rein remained in place wide eyed.

Chizuru stood up, turning to face Rein. The woman was splattered with blood, and her brows raised with worry.  
In her hands she held a music box.  
"I did what they couldn't. Because nobody knew. Where it was, what happened. Nobody had the slightest clue."  
Walking to Rein, Chizuru handed her the box.  
The man she had killed remained unmoving, and the sight of him was enough to make Rain want to run. To vomit.  
Chizuru shifted her gaze, and shook her head.  
"I had done this so many times..."  
Rein peered at her, slowly nodding.

"So it only makes sense for you to kill me now. Finish it."  
Kneeling over Chizuru, Rein held her sword over the woman's neck.  
"But Chi-"  
"No buts. Complete the memory, and wake up. Enjoy life Rei, for both of us." A warm smile spread across Chizuru's face and Rein nodded.  
"You need to make a choice. Gintoki will kill Takasugi. What will you do? Pick a side, and stick to it. Kill Gintoki, or Kill Takasugi. There is no in between."  
The words caused Rein's eyes to widen, and she shook her head.  
"What? No- Neither of them need to die..."  
"But one will. So choose." Her sister stated.

Shaking her head Rein gripped her blade.  
"I love you..." Chizuru murmured, and Rein nodded.  
Placing a soft kiss on the woman's cheek, Rein pushed her black hair from her neck.  
"I love you too."

* * *

When she pushed the sword down, Rein gasped and sat straight up in her bed.  
Sweat seemed to be pouring down her body, as if the satin robe was too hot, or she had just run away from the police.  
The woman pushed her dark hair which clung to her skin from her neck around to one shoulder.  
Her eyes were wide and it felt as though her mind had been kicked into overdrive. Everything was back. She knew everything, and it hurt.  
The dim light barely revealed her sweat, and glistened on her skin. Surprisingly, Gintoki remained beside her still in a deep slumber.  
Panting, Rein reached over the man and grabbed her cigarettes. She hurriedly lit one, and scooted back against the wall, sitting up.  
Though the woman tried to shake the horrid images of her dream from her mind, it seemed to be impossible; like trying to cover up a huge zit on prom night.  
After a few seconds she nudged Gintoki, allowing her hand to rest on his back.  
"Oi, Gin. Wake up..."

The man groaned and scooted towards her; wrapping his arms around her waist.  
"Gin, come on..."  
"What?" He sighed, and Rein shifted her gaze. Running her hand through his hair, she laced one of his curls around her finger.  
"I remember..."

The man lazily glanced up at her, curious.  
"Yeah?"  
Rein nodded, biting down on her lip.  
Not moving, Gintoki waited for her to offer some form of detail. Obviously she had to want to tell him something.  
"When I killed Chizuru she told me that she had wanted me to... She had been trying to die, and her and Kuro had planned it out."  
The man sat up, and peered at Rein, frowning in confusion.  
"Chi blamed herself for our parent's death... Because she got an heirloom stolen form out family. Mom and dad died trying to get it back, and Chi took care of me afterwards; hoping they would return. Our master found us, and we moved on from there, but... She never forgave herself."

Nodding, Gintoki sighed.  
"So why did you try to kill yourself?"  
Shifting her gaze Rein stared at the smoke wafting towards the ceiling.  
"It was just... I killed her. But it wasn't the same as killing everyone else. Normally I didn't care; it didn't effect me. Strangers died, and they were jut that, strangers- remaining faceless, nameless... Pointless. But with her... She was like a mother to me. I just couldn't..."

"You regretted it. You didn't understand how it made people feel, but when you finished her, you couldn't take the thought of doing that to other people?"

Gazing at the man Rein slowly nodded.  
"I'm... Sorry. I didn't think it would have such an effect on you- If I were to die. Or anybody else for that matter..."  
"Stupid. Of course it would." Gintoki took the cigarette from Rein's hand, and stubbed it out on the ashtray beside the bed.  
"Come on, lets go back to sleep." Without warning, the man pulled her down into the bed and beside himself.  
He didn't seem to mind her sweat, and instead pulled the tie of her robe loose.  
Rein gazed at the wall, unable to shake the air of dread which had surrounded her. She wanted to commit seppuku again.  
Maybe she would do it right next time. Or maybe she should just try to behead herself. But then again, it would effect Gintoki...

He tightened his grip around Rein's waist, and tucked his chin into her shoulder.  
"So do you remember everything?"  
Rein slowly nodded, frowning at the plain white ceiling.  
"About us?"  
She nodded again and Gintoki sighed, his warm breath sending a chill up Rein's spine.  
"And Takasugi?"  
Sharply inhaling, the woman tried to think of a response. She stared into the blackness of her loft, as Gintoki leaned up, gazing into her eyes.  
"You remember him too?"  
"Of course." She stated, and he nodded.

"So you know you weren't married?"  
"Yes."  
"And that he had no right to try to take you?"  
Murmuring a yes again Rein attempted to find a way to tell Gintoki that she understood Takasugi's actions.  
If anything, she needed to thank him. The truth was obvious; she had thrown herself at him, and he chosen not to take advantage of her.  
Even if he had caused that situation, or deceived her; the reasoning behind his actions was clear.  
Though the man had probably taken her with less then honorable intentions, it was almost as if he had developed a conscience.  
Gintoki didn't offer any more words, just laid back down to sleep.


	22. Stay With Me

When morning arrived, Rein hadn't been able to sleep. Gintoki was still knocked out, so she decided to get up and prepare a meal.  
Running her hand over the metal pipes that made the rails of her room she descended the stairs.  
It was almost as if she had forgotten the fact that she had been gone for a month. Her refrigerator was remarkably empty.  
Sighing the woman walked back to her room, and grabbed some money. Her phone had also been on the table beside it, so she took it and left.  
Another moment was spent staring at the silver haired samurai who was peacefully resting in her bed.  
He was also snoring lightly; cute. A soft smile curled Rein's lips and she pulled a grey yukata over herself.  
Without awakening the man, she left the loft.

Out in the town Rein stopped by a phone store to purchase air time. The attendant fixed her phone offering a large grin.  
"You were just in time- It was only a few days away from deactivating."  
Staring at the man curiously Rein nodded. Whatever the man had said, it didn't sound good, but at least she avoided that.  
As she walked to the grocery store, Rein sent a mass message to all but Gintoki that her phone was back on.  
In the store she made sure to buy fruit, strawberry milk, sukonbu, and anything else she could think of.  
As she stepped into the line,she received multiple messages in response to hers.

"Good to hear it." Hijikata.  
"Great! We should hang out on Friday! Just like old times! - Flustered jerky plastic horse!" Obviously Tsu.  
"Alright. Have you found your place yet?" And Kawakami.

Opting to write the man back, Rein placed her basket on the moving counter of the grocery line.  
"Yeah. Remembered some things as well."  
"That's good, I dare say." He responded, and Rein reached the front of the line.  
The cashier greeted her with a warm smile, and for the most part Rein ignored her.

"Would you like to get a bonus card? You get points for all of your purchases and-"  
"No." Rein interrupted. The girl shifted her gaze, nervously bagging the goods as Rein pulled money from her wrist pouch.  
"Okay. Just so you know, it's free! For this purchase you would get ninety two po-"  
"No." Rein resounded, handing the girl her payment.  
Maybe it was the serious expression Rein held, but the cashier was undoubtedly uncomfortable.

Leaving the store Rein decided to write Kawakami again.  
"I appreciate your help during that time... Also I need one more favor."  
"Alright. What is it?" He asked.

* * *

When Rein arrived back at her loft, she wasn't surprised to find that Gintoki hadn't even moved.  
Smiling to herself, she pushed all of her groceries into her refrigerator. It was obvious what the perfect breakfast for Gintoki was.  
Every morning they would eat fruit, and watch TV. So instead of making a traditional meal, Rein diced up bits of apple, berries, melon and mango.  
She also grabbed a container of milk, and poured strawberry yogurt over the top of the fruit salad as a makeshift dressing.  
Placing the meal on the table in front of the TV, Rein moved to the panel in the wall; pulling it away.  
Next she walked up the stairs to her room and leaned over the man.

"Gin, wake up..." The woman murmured the words into his ear, and he started to lazily move in the bed.  
Placing her hand on the mattress, Rein planted a light kiss on his lips and moved to his neck.  
"Come on..."  
Groaning, Gintoki gripped Rein's arm, and rolled over, pulling her over himself and into the bed.  
When she landed, he crawled on top of her, and laid back down with his head beside hers.  
"Not now." He barely even whispered, and she shifted her gaze trying to ignore the fact that he was so close to her ear.  
She wrapped her arms around the man, turning to look at him.  
"Gin, I made breakfast. Come on, get up..." Instead of trying to move him, Rein traced her hand up his back.  
The light massage only made Gintoki want to go back to sleep, and he sighed.  
"I got some strawberry milk..." Seductively whispering the words in his ear, Rein snickered to herself as he sat up.  
"Oh yeah?" Gin asked in an equally seductive tone, and sounding surprisingly awake.  
"Yeah, and you know what else I have?"  
The corner of Reins lip tugged up into a smirk as she spoke and Gintoki leaned up, peering at the woman with raised eyebrows.  
"Melon pan..."

That was all he needed to hear. Without a word, Gintoki stood up and pulled Rein with him.  
He led her down the stairs seeing that the TV was already set up and so was breakfast. Grinning he moved to his spot on the couch.  
"It's hot..." Rein sighed, sitting beside the man.  
She pushed Gintoki's sleeve down his arm and the man slipped out of his yukata as she loosened her own.  
He turned the TV on, and Rein grabbed the bowl of fruit salad. Without a word, Gintoki popped a strawberry into his mouth, grinning.  
"You could at least use the chop sticks." Rein murmured, smirking to herself.  
Gintoki peered at her, and grabbed another berry. Instead of justifying her statement he held it to her lips.  
Eying the man, Rein accepted the fruit taking care to lick the yogurt from his fingers.  
Gintoki then scooped a bit of yogurt up and smeared it on her lips. So that was where she had gotten the paint idea.

Unable to help herself, Rein laughed.  
"What are you doing?!" She asked mimicking his motion.  
The man wrapped his lips around her finger before she could make contact with him.  
Pulling back he maintained a deadpan expression.  
"Oh, you've got something on your mouth..." Gintoki pointed out, smearing more around her lips.  
"Stop!" Rein grinned trying to move away.  
"Wow, you're a messy eater." The man stated in a monotone, pointing at the laughing woman as she tried to cover her face.  
"There are no napkins. Guess I have no choice, I'll help you..."  
Leaning towards Rein, Gintoki pushed her hand aside and locked her into a kiss; licking some of the yogurt form her lips.

When he pulled away, Rein started to laugh so hard she could barely speak.  
The woman set the bowl of fruit on the table, and wrapped an arm around her stomach.  
Pointing at Gintoki she bit her lip, trying to silence herself.  
"You- You're face! You didn't- even get it all!"  
Raising an eyebrow at the woman Gintoki seemed oblivious to the pink yogurt which had surrounded his mouth; giving him the appearance of a strawberry clown.

* * *

Later in the afternoon the two remained on the couch.  
They had barely even moved, and Rein laid over Gintoki staring at the TV.  
It wasn't until the man glanced at his phone that she noticed the scowl he held.  
"What is it?" Rein asked, only to be met with a forced smile.  
"Nothing."

Shifting her gaze, the woman nodded slowly. Eventually Gintoki sat up, forcing Rein to lean up as well.  
"I need to go do something. I'll be back later on."  
Frowning, Rein sat back on her legs.

"Where are you going?"  
"A job." Gintoki stated as he pushed himself to his feet.  
Rein watched him as he pulled his yukata back on, suspicious of the man.  
Chizuru's words from her dream popped into her mind, and she fell into an internal state of panic.

"What kind of job?" She asked, and he peered down at her blankly.  
"Whats with all the questions? The normal kind."  
When the man shifted his gaze and started towards the door Rein followed after him.  
"Gin... You're not going after him are you?" Unable to help herself, Rein asked him directly.  
The man frowned down at her, which was enough to confirm her theory.  
"Just leave him alone... It's not that important... Stay with me instead." Grabbing his arm, Rein pulled him away from his shoes.  
Gintoki silently stared at her for a moment before sighing.

Her eyebrows were raised with worry, and he shifted his gaze. Shit.  
He wasn't even able to make it out of the door before she figured him out.  
And when she was making that face he couldn't say no to her


	23. Intervention Mercy

Later in the evening, Gintoki pretended to be asleep until he was positive that Rein had fallen into a deep slumber.  
Gently grabbing her wrist which was draped across his bare chest, Gintoki slowly moved the woman's arm.  
She sighed and rolled over, causing the man to freeze in place. He waited for a moment before carefully sliding from the bed, and standing up.  
Gazing at Rein, Gintoki opted not to grab his bokken, but to take one of her swords instead.  
She had a rather beautiful sword on her wall, and he silently pulled it from the hooks he had installed while she was in the hospital.  
Strapping it to his waist, the man glanced at her one last time before descending the stairs.

Though Rein had expressed her desire for him to forget about Takasugi, Gintoki couldn't let such a thing go.  
The man had stolen his girlfriend, and taken advantage of her vulnerability.  
For that, he had to die. In the past, Gintoki had stated that he would indeed kill Takasugi.  
Katsura had been with him at the time, but now this had nothing to do with Katsura. This was personal.  
Some how managing to silently move through the darkness of the loft, Gintoki made it to the door and slipped out into the night.  
He walked his scooter a way down the street, glancing back every so often to see if Rein had noticed him.  
When he was satisfied with the distance, Gintoki started his scooter, and headed towards Takasugi's warehouse.

Despite the heat of the day, the night air had a sight chill to it.  
Gintoki couldn't help but scowl at the thought of that one eyed bastard telling Rein they were married.  
Possibly having romantic moments with her. Or doing other things...  
Rein had said nothing happened, and though Gintoki believed her, he knew that Takasugi's intentions weren't exactly pure.  
And when he came into the hospital that day... That bastard acted like he was going to kiss Rein!  
Inexcusable.

Rein remained asleep for almost half an hour. It wasn't until her phone awoke her that the woman sat up.  
Gintoki was gone. So was the sword that had been made for her. Answering her phone she wasn't surprised to hear Kawakami.  
"It's just as you've said. He fighting his way in now. Come outside." With that the man hung up.  
Scrambling to her feet, Rein threw a black yukata on, and strapped two guns to her thighs, as well as a sword to her hip.  
Not taking the time to think of anything else, she dashed down the stairs and to her door.  
The woman rushed outside, and started towards the industrial area. Adrenaline surged through her veins.  
She had expected this, but not so soon. And not to be awoken by it. As she ran, she heard a motorcycle behind her.  
Stopping she turned to see Kawakami. He slowed to a halt, and she climbed on behind him. Glancing back at her, Kawakami smirked.  
"You're a natural psychic, I dare say..." There was no time for a response before the man sped off.

As usual he was speeding, but it was worse then before.  
If an intersection was blocked off Kawakami would take a side walk; he didn't stop for anything.  
What would normally be a thirty minute drive lasted barely even five. As he pulled into the garage, Rein squeezed his coat.  
"Thank you..." She murmured, not even turning to see the smile which graced the man's lips.  
Without hesitation, Rein ran up the stairs and down the hall. She took a short cut; turning at Kawakami's door and sprinting down the staircase ahead.  
When she reached ground level, she found Gintoki slicing through an Amanto.  
Takasugi stood only a few meters away from him, calmly watching the man.  
The one eyed man was leaning back on a short wall, one which was only as high as his hip.

"Is it jealousy, Gintoki? You're afraid that during the course of our marriage-"  
"There was no marriage, dumb ass!" Gintoki growled, cutting Takasugi off.  
Snorting in amusement, Takasugi raised his pipe to his lips. Both men were glaring at one another, holding their swords.  
Rein stood in the shadows, taking the scene in. For some reason, Takasugi wasn't hiding behind his men.  
Maybe it was because most of them littered the ground around him; their blood spilling into the grating of the floor.  
Pointing his, no, _her _blade at Takasugi, Gintoki stepped towards the man.  
"I've warned you- Multiple times. You just couldn't-"  
"Let you win?" Takasugi asked, his voice still remaining calm.  
"Well what can I say? When I want something, I take it." The one eyed man snickered, and Gintoki scowled in response.

A firm hand nudged Rein's back, and she turned to find Kawakami.  
The man held a serious expression and she nodded in response.  
Shaking his head, Gintoki allowed a malevolent grin to curl his lips.  
"The only things you can take are baths, and dumps. Not my girlfriend, or her heart..."  
As Gintoki started to moved towards the man, Rein dashed from the shadows; pulling her guns out.  
Surprised crossed both of the men, as she slid onto the wall behind Takasugi.  
One of her knees was bent while the other remained straight for balance.  
Shoving one arm under Takasugi's Rein pointed a gun at Gintoki, and the other at Takasugi's head.

Wide eyed, Takasugi glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Gintoki froze in place, stunned.  
"What the hell are you-"  
"Stop." Rein commanded, glaring at Gintoki.  
His jaw dropped, and he took a step backwards.  
The woman's ruby lips were twisted into a scowl, and Takasugi remained frozen in place.  
"What are you doing, idiot?" The one eyed man asked, and Rein sighed.  
"Ending this."  
"If you're defending _me_, then why the hell do you have a gun to _my_ head?!" Takasugi sneered, and Rein pushed the barrel of her gun into his temple.  
"Shut up, _honey_."

Rolling her eyes, she shifted her attention to Gintoki.  
"Look, I understand why you would do this. Really... But I just can't take anymore. I don't want anybody I know to die. I can't let you kill him. And I can't let _you_ kill _him_."  
She stated, nudging Takasugi.  
"What the fuck Rein- Do you love him or something?! Why are you defending-"  
"I'm defending both of you..." Rein interrupted, and Gintoki scowled. She hadn't answered his question.  
"Who's side are you on?!" The samurai demanded, tightening his grip on the black handle of her sword.  
"My own..." The words were a sigh, and almost out of nowhere, a blade plunged into Rein's back.

She cried out, and shifted her guns to the ground to keep from misfiring Takasugi's head off.  
Three men called her at once, and Kawakami lunged behind her, slashing through an Amanto.  
"Bansai!" Takasugi cried, turning around.  
Kawakami stood straight up, and gazed at Takasugi, then Gintoki.  
"It was an intruder." With that, sheathed his blade.  
It was an obvious lie, but everybody excused it as Kawakami pulled the dagger out of Rein's back.  
After another shriek of pain, she gazed at the wall as if to compose herself.  
She clenched her teeth, and the room fell silent, everybody watching her.  
Shaking her head, Rein tried her best to ignore the sharp sting of her fresh wound as she repositioned her guns.  
It was obvious that the men weren't going to attack her.  
Forcing herself to snicker, Rein tightened her grip on the guns, almost as if they had waited for her to hold them at gunpoint again..  
"If one of you doesn't walk away, I'll shoot you both and run off with Kawakami."

"Now that I think about it you two should fight to the death, I dare say." The man chimed in, causing Gintoki and Takasugi to scowl.  
Glancing at him, Rein nudged Kawakami with her elbow.  
"Shut up."  
He smirked, and without a word walked away. Turning her attention to Gintoki, Rein offered an almost invisible smile.  
The only thing that was apparent in her expression was hope.  
"Caterpillars and butterflies, remember?"

Taking a deep breath, Rein shifted her gaze between the two men. A thick silence surrounded them, and Gintoki growled in frustration.  
Without a word, he turned and stormed from the room. Shaking her head, Rein knew that this was gong to be an argument. Just knew it.

Takasugi peered at Gintoki over his shoulder before gazing at Rein.  
"You're dumber then I thought." He sighed, and Rein tilted her head to the side.  
"Maybe. But then again, I owed you one. Consider us even."  
"Owed me one?" He asked, his brow furrowing.  
"For not taking advantage of me. Well, not exactly. Point is, I understand why you did it."  
Takasugi's eye widened, and Rein stared at the man.  
"Love you too, in a sense. You'll always be my first husband, Shinsuke."  
Stepping from the wall, Rein started to slip her guns back to her thighs.  
As she walked away from a very startled Takasugi she offered a slight wave over her shoulder.  
When she reached the door, she turned to peer at him.  
"And hang that fucking painting up."

Outside, Gintoki had waited for Rein. When the woman reached his side, he was glared up at her from his moped.  
The man's arms were crossed, and she held his eye contact. Instead of offering any words, Rein climbed on the scooter behind him.  
Gintoki sighed, and started the bike.  
Neither of them spoke as they started away, but Rein wrapped her arms around his waist, and leaned onto his back; smiling to herself.  
Hopefully her course of action had satisfied everybody.  
Now she just had to make it up to Gintoki...


	24. A New Way to Fight

When Gintoki and Rein arrived back at her loft, the man motioned for her to get off.  
It was obvious that he was going to leave; just drive off without a word.  
Instead of listening to the man's subtle command, Rein tightened her grasp on his clothes.  
"Gin, come with me..."  
When he didn't respond, she sighed, and leaned up. Not giving up, Rein placed her lips to his ear.  
"Come on, don't ignore me again... Last time you got mad about me killing somebody, you can't be upset with me for doing the opposite..."  
The man turned to peer at her over his shoulder, scowling.  
After a moment of holding Rein's gaze he sighed.  
After turning his scooter off, Gintoki stood up, and Rein climbed off of the back seat.

Inside of the loft, Gintoki sat on the couch, but didn't turn the TV on. His open palm held his head as the man leaned onto his knees.  
Rein walked to her medical cabinet, and pulled the wall away.  
Slipped her yukata down to the bend of her elbows, she peered at her back through the mirror.  
The cut didn't look to bad. Actually, it had been pretty weak.  
Though the length could be alarming, the depth was nothing new. Walking to Gintoki, Rein knelt on the floor in front of him.  
"Oi, does it look bad to you? I don't think it needs anything, right?"

The man gazed at her bare back, and pushed her hair out of the way.  
Instead of offering an opinion as Rein expected, he leaned into her.  
A pair of lips brushed against the woman's neck and she tilted her head to the side, exhaling lightly.  
Pulling her back, Gintoki bit down on Rein's skin, earning a low moan.  
She reached up and gripped his shoulder, as he made a trail to her lips.  
Firmly placing two fingers to her jaw, he turned her to look at him and locked her into a kiss.

An argument had been the expected outcome, yet this was a much more welcome approach to fighting.  
Slowly turning to face the man, Rein took care not to break the contact between them.  
She leaned onto Gintoki's knees, and pushed herself towards the man.  
Without hesitation he wrapped his arms under hers and around the small of her back; pulling her against himself.  
His tongue pushed past her lips not bothering to ask for permission (Not that such a request would have been denied).  
Rein's yukata dropped to the floor, and she tugged Gintoki's shirt open.  
When his chest was exposed the woman crawled into his lap, resting her legs on either side of him.  
One of her hands slid over his shoulder and into his hair, while the other wandered up his chest and neck; opting to rest under his jaw.  
Exploring her skin with his own hands, Gintoki laid her on the couch.  
Rein broke her lips from his and started to trail kisses down his neck as the man worked his pants off of himself.  
When they were off, Rein pulled him down and swapped places with him.

Though Gintoki wondered how the hell she had managed to get on top of him, he decided to see exactly what she had planned.  
Barely grazing against his skin with her lips, Rein only stopped when she reached the elastic of his boxers.  
"Strawberries? Really?" The woman started to snicker under her breath at the sight of the man's boxers as she slipped her hands under them.  
Gintoki glared down at her with a look that dared her to make another comment about his favorite underwear.  
Though the expression only made her want to tease him more, she suppressed the urge.  
The woman gently pulled the fabric away, and lightly kissed his thighs.  
After trailing up to the very tip of his member, Rein took him into her mouth, receiving a eager groan in response.  
Taking her time, she slowly slid her tongue around the man, and he instinctively gripped her hair.  
As Gintoki bucked his hips, he forced her to increase her pace, and she happily obliged.

Only a few minutes passed before he was pulling her off.  
He started to sit up, but Rein pushed him back down and crawled over the man; connecting her lips with his neck.  
She breathed in his familiar scent, as his hand started to tug at her underwear.  
Before she knew it a blade slipped across her skin, and the fabric grew loose. Leaning up Rein peered at her waist.  
Gintoki smirked up at the woman, holding a small dagger.  
"Where did you?"  
Without a word he sliced through the opposite side, and slipped the blade into the holster on her thigh.  
"Huh... I didn't even feel you take that." She noted, and Gintoki's grin widened.  
"I've got something else for you to feel..." The man stated in a gruff tone.  
Snickering, Rein pulled the underwear from beneath herself, and placed her hands on either side of Gintoki.  
He leaned up, and pushed his lips to hers. As their tongues connected Rein positioned herself over him.  
Firmly holding her hips Gintoki tried to force her down, but the woman took care to move slowly.  
She wanted to savor every second of it. Groaning into each others lips, they started to work into a slow steady rhythm.  
Obvious excitement coursed through Gintoki, and he wouldn't let Rein do everything; insisting on moving her himself, and refusing to lay back.  
Though the woman's movements inflicted a very obvious pleasure, the frustration of his night had tensed the man.  
That accompanied with the anxious feeling of finally having her again was too much to bare.  
When she moved in such a fluid teasing motion, he could feel everything.  
Every inch of her soft walls, squeezed him and he needed more.

For some reason it was almost as if he would release sooner, and Gintoki didn't want to.  
He wanted to take his aggression out on her.  
Punish Rein for interfering with his "revenge". Unable to stop himself, Gintoki firmly forced her down; pushing her back.  
Their lips parted, allowing a loud moan to fill the air.  
The sound only drove Gintoki further into his lustful state, and he started to roughly thrust into the warmth he so craved.  
Rein wrapped an arm around his shoulders, causing the man to lean down and tease her sensitive neck with his tongue.  
As he bit down on her, the woman's back arched, and her velvet body rolled against him.  
Pure excitement drove him to repeat the motion, and when he received the same breathless moan he throbbed inside of her.

The hand on his chest started to push against him, yet the arm around him pulled him closer all the while.  
Leaning one shoulder back he gripped Reins hips, slamming himself deeper. A low pant parted his lips and lingered with Rein's cries of pleasure.  
Nails dug into his skin, and Rein pulled herself up with him, licking his glistening chest, and nipples.  
She spasmed around him, and Gintoki felt himself nearing his end.  
When he could barely hold himself any longer, Gintoki slipped his thumb just above the entrance he was enjoying and massaged her most sensitive area.  
Rein's hand slipped to his back, and she pulled his lips to hers. The woman's loud groans were muffled by his lips which she roughly bit down on.  
In a fight for dominance, Gintoki passionately returned her kiss; nipping at her lips as well.  
The hand behind his neck, and arm around his torso tightened, and a the tone of Rein's voice signaled that she had reached the state of bliss Gintoki would soon achieve.  
Toes curling, Gintoki increased his pace, receiving encouraging pants from the woman beneath him.  
With one last thrust he pushed as deeply as possible and released himself; allowing waves of ecstasy to wash over him and part his lips in the form of a breathless grunt.

Sliding her hands over the firm ridged of Gintoki's muscles, Rein planted a kiss on his strong collar bone as he untensed, and tried to catch his breath.  
Sweat dripped from the tips of his curls to her already perspiring body.  
Tilting her chin up, Gintoki captured her lips, wrapping his arm around her back. When he pulled away he lightly murmured a few words into her lips.  
"I missed you..."  
"I've missed you too..." Rein responded, seemingly captivated by the rare expression which had taken his eyes.

* * *

Ten minutes later Gintoki had unfolded the couch into a bed.  
The woman was still slightly suspicious, and expected Gintoki to at least nag her or comment about the events of the night.  
To her surprise he didn't even mention it. Maybe it was the fact that he just didn't want to, or maybe he had just been frustrated.  
What ever the answer was, it confused Rein to no end.  
After tossing him his favorite drink Rein grabbed a fresh blanket and turned the light off.  
She crawled beside him, and they spread the thin sheet over themselves.  
Rein draped an arm over his abs, and laid her head on his chest.  
"You know, If you had been patient I was going to make it last a really long time..."  
"Not doing that you weren't." Gintoki chuckled under his breath an a mutual smile graced their lips.  
Lacing her leg around his Rein peered up at him.  
"Next time I'll-"  
"Dress up as a school girl?" The man interrupted.  
"No!" Bursting into laughter the woman shook her head.

Sighing Gintoki leaned onto his side; peering at her features which were barely illuminated by the dim light of her room upstairs.  
"What about a belly dancer?"  
Echoing a no, Rein frowned; still laughing.

Enjoying the sound of the woman's melodic amusement Gintoki smiled to himself.  
Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her neck. His words were muffled by her skin, but Rein was positive she understood him.  
"I love you..."

When he leaned back, he found that a deep blush had spread across her cheeks.  
She shifted her gaze, and bit down on her lower lip in an attempt to hide her obvious embarrassment.  
"I love you too..." Her uncharacteristically soft voice responded.

"But if you think that will make me dress up, you're mistaken." Rein added, laying down beside him to hide her face.  
"It was worth a try." The man snickered


	25. Sadist Aren't ALL Bad

When Rein awoke, Gintoki was gone. The morning brought perfect weather, and she lazily sat up.  
Wiping her eyes she gazed at her phone. It was already noon. She had overslept. Lightly exhaling, Rein stood up and walked to the bathroom.  
After a shower she pulled on her blue yukata and grabbed a bun of melon pan. It was October fifth, and she had some plans to organize.  
For a split second the thought of Gintoki being upset with her crossed her mind, and while she was sure he was, she chose not to focus on that.

As the woman left the loft, she took a bite out of her bread. Her first stop would have to be the a store. Then the Yorozura.  
She still hadn't seen Kagura or Shinpachi, but she knew that they would want to take part in her plans.  
Rein walked to a nearby clothes shop, dreading the upcoming purchase.  
As the door opened a cheerful bell rang, and Rein dropped her head as if it would draw attention away from herself.  
She walked straight to the counter of the sickeningly pink store, and shifted her weight as the cashier peered at her.

"Erm... I wanna buy some smmnenn..." The words became a low mumble as she tried to articulate her goal in the least humiliating way possible.  
"What's that?!" The cheerfully annoying girl literally shouted at Rein.  
Taken aback by the girl's tone, Rein's eyes widened.  
She glanced over the store as if the other customers would know her, and catch her doing something so uncharacteristic.  
"I said I wanna buy some..."  
Allowing her eyes to wander over the other customers again, Rein leaned towards the woman holding a deathly serious expression.  
She held her melon pan to her chest, and formed a barrier around her mouth with her free hand as she whispered to the sales clerk.  
"Lacy unmentionables... Like the sexy clothes... You know..."

The girl behind the counter's lips formed a small "Oh" And she nodded.  
"Lingerie is in the back corner!" She proclaimed, and Rein grew bug eyed. She stared at the girl, embarrassed.  
Obviously she had been whispering for a reason... This girl was out to get her.  
Grinning, The store clerk pointed behind herself, and Rein stood frozen in place. After a moment of contemplation she chose the best course of action.  
"Yeah! Okay! I'll uh, I'll tell her! Using my phone!" She exclaimed trying to show the other shoppers that it wasn't her.  
It was an attempt at implying that somebody else wanted to know about the underclothes; that Rein was innocent.  
Oblivious to Rein's discomfort the store clerk continued.

"Was there anything in particular that you were looking for? Anything I could help you with?"  
"It- It's not for me! My uh, _friend _wanted to know!" Rein insisted. With that she turned around and rushed out of the store.  
Five minutes passed and the woman remained in front of the building, smoking a cigarette.  
She tried to find a way to cope with the awkward purchase. Sighing to herself, Rein decided to go back in.  
To find the damn outfit and run as far away as possible. That was when she heard an all too familiar voice.

"Hobo-San... What are you doing here?"  
The woman hesitated to turn towards the source of the monotone. She stared at her hand which was on the handle of the door.  
The man stopped by her side, watching her.  
"I know you heard me." He stated, and Rein slowly turned to gaze at him, wide eyed.  
"Okita..." Caught in the act. Damn.

The man calmly smiled at her donning a look of pure evil.  
"What are you doing at a fancy underwear store?"  
Staring up at the Captain, Rein felt her face flush.  
"I- I was just leaving!" As she turned to walk away, he grabbed the back of her yukata.  
Rein continued to walk, despite the fact that she wasn't moving any farther away.  
"That's not what it looked like to me..."  
"I just finished." Rein lied, turning to swipe at his hand and escape.  
"Where's your bag?"

Eyes widening, Rein searched her hands.  
"It- Uh, It blew away! The wind is so strong today!" An awkward laugh parted the woman's lips, and Okita shook his head.  
"Are you trying to buy something for boss?" The question was unexpected. There was no way to deny it now.  
Defeated, Rein dropped her head and nodded. When she peered back up at Okita, his amusement had only been furthered.  
A dark aura seemed to surround the man, and his smirk widened in a sinister manner.  
Upon seeing his expression, Rein knew this was going to be a long, tedious day.


	26. Payment, and Gardens

Hours passed, and Okita helped Rein pick out a few different outfits.  
He had insisted on a few she never would have chosen, and also made her pay for his services.  
In the form of humiliation of course. But not hers. Standing in Okita's room, Rein changed into one of the matching lingerie sets Okita had picked out.  
It was a girly pink and white bra and panties combination. When she finished changing she pulled her yukata back on, and walked to the door.  
Cracking it open, she found Okita waiting by the door.  
"I'm finished... Are you sure about this? Nothing creepy is gonna happen right? You're positive? I'd be sad to have to kill him..."  
Rein placed a finger to her lips and raised her eyes to the ceiling. Smiling, Okita shook his head.  
"He's sleeping, it's his day off. If he does do anything kill him; I'll pay you."

Nodding slowly Rein held her yukata closed and slowly stepped across the cold hardwood beneath her feet.  
She walked to Hijikata's room, and as she reached for the door Okita grabbed her shoulder.  
"Wait."  
Turnin to face the man, Rein raised an eyebrow.  
"This too. It's supposed to make your lips all poutie..." The man reached into a small bag in his hand and pulled out some lip gloss.  
Instead of objecting, Rein just scowled as the man put it on her. Normally this sort of thing was out of the question.  
So was the thing she was about to do. But she was thankful for Okita's guidance, and didn't want to humiliate herself; so why not pick on Hijikata?  
Just a little. When Okita finished, he offered a devious smile.  
"Perfect..."

Rolling her eyes Rein nodded, and turned back towards the door.  
The two walked into Hijikata's room, and Okita hid in the closet.  
Rein closed the door behind herself and walked to the foot of the bed.  
Hijikata was sleeping peacefully in front of her. But not for long. Dropping her yukata, Rein crawled onto the bed.  
"Tooushiii~ Wake uup~"  
The man started to move as she crawled over him.  
"Toushi, come on... You don't wanna miss this..." Seductively breathing the words, Rein stopped.  
Hijikata opened one eye, and frowned. Immediately sitting up, the man was obviously stunned.  
He stared at Rein wide eyed; frozen in place.  
Sitting down on his lap, Rein offered a sexy smile, and feigned embarrassment.

"I- I just wanted to thank you for being such a good friend..." She bit her lower lip, and shifted her gaze.

Hijikata's heart began to pound. He didn't understand what the hell was going on. He was hallucinating! Had to be. Dreaming, maybe...  
Wondering if somebody had slipped drugs into his last meal, the man started to cough.  
He placed his fist over his mouth in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.  
With no other thoughts of how this could be happening, Hijikata came to one conclusion. Sougo was behind this.  
"Sougo! SOUGO!" The man started to yell.  
Rein leaned towards him, and placed a hand on his bare chest.  
"Toushi, don't call attention to your room right now... We might get caught... We have to be quiet, okay?"

The words were too much to bare. Hijikata stared at the woman as she continued to lean towards him.  
From the way she was positioned he could see the top of her chest.  
Though the woman didn't exactly have the largest boobs in the world, the padded push-up bra suggested otherwise.  
Sheer panic engulfed the man. His face had flushed to an impossible shade, and his mouth was dry.  
An immediate head rush hit him and before she could get any closer his vision grew blurry.  
Almost out of nowhere, an intense nose bleed caught him, and he exhaled; falling back into the bed.

Rein frowned down at the man, who had just shot blood all over her. Okita had been right. She didn't even have to kiss him. Huh.  
The closet opened, and Okita walked over to the bed, grinning. Peering up at the man, Rein stepped onto the ground.  
"Can I have my bags now?" Slightly annoyed at the situation, the woman walked to her yukata and pulled it back over herself.  
"Yeah. Good work. You still could have punched him though..." Leaving it at that, Okita left the room.  
Rein glanced back at Hijikata murmuring an apology. It wasn't like she wanted to do it, but for Gintoki she would do just about anything.

After washing the blood off of herself Rein re-dressed herself and left with her new clothes. Minus the blood stained pink set that is.  
Not that she wanted that anyway. The woman walked to the Yorozura, only to find the building empty.  
Concluding that they must be working, she tried to devise a course of action. Wait, come back later, or try to find them?  
Moving back down the stairs, she came across a street vendor. It didn't take much to convince the woman to but some more melon pan.  
Not even two minutes later she was happily stuffing her face, and holding an arm full of fresh bread.  
Rein decided to go back to her place and drop the lingerie off.

* * *

Half way to the loft Rein heard a very familiar scream.  
"GAHH! BRAT, WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Definitely Gintoki.  
"I just watered the plants! Like you told me to!" The girl yelled back.  
"Did you use the red can?! You used the red can didn't you?!" And Shinpachi.

Curiously walking towards the shouting, Rein continued to consume what could be considered a month's supply of melon pan.  
Her search led her to a mall wooden fence, which she pulled open, and passed.  
In the back yard of some random house, she found Shinpachi; screaming and running around on fire, with Kagura chasing after him.  
Gintoki stood by a large fire using holding a water hose. He was trying to put it out and looking increasingly panicked.  
"Why the hell would you use the red container?!" He shouted, and Kagura caught Shinpachi.  
She kicked him in the back and when the boy fell on the ground she started to stomp him, and the flames out.  
"It already had water in it!" Kagura yelled back.  
Rein stood by the fence, eating her bread and staring on curiously.  
"It was gas, stupid! _GASOLINE!_"Gintoki continued to pour water on the fire.

Seeing the recipe for disaster, Rein rushed to Gintoki's side.  
She grabbed his sleeve, and pulled him away from the hose and the flaming plant bed.  
The man turned to stare at her, wide eyed, as she continued to eat her bread.  
"What are you doing here?!" Still alarmed he shouted the words at Rein, yet she didn't turn to face him.  
"Oil and water don't mix. it's just gonna boil the water and shoot the fire at you." Stating the facts in a monotone, Rein dragged Gintoki away.  
As she had said, some of the gas jumped away from the fire, and blades of green grass grew dark.  
Shinpachi seemed to be okay; mostly injured by being stomped on by Kagura.  
The two walked over to Rein and Gintoki and everybody stared at the fire.  
"What do we do?" Kagura asked, and Rein grabbed another bun of melon pan from her arms.  
"Use dirt." The woman stated, and all three of the Yorozura members gazed at her.

"You're still eating? You haven't even stopped eating?" Gintoki frowned down at her, and she shrugged.  
Peering up at him from the corner of her eyes she offered him one.  
"It's fresh." Rein grinned.

Kagura took one of the loafs from her arm, and Shinpachi started to scold her.  
"Don't eat right now! There's a fire! We need to-"  
"Shut up, four-eyes." Kagura grabbed another bun and soon Gintoki was taking one as well.  
Speaking with a full mouth Rein turned to Shinpachi.  
"Want one?"

Frowning in disbelief the boy shook his head.  
"NO! We need to-"  
"Patsuan, go find a shovel. Throw dirt on it." Gintoki commanded, taking a bite of his bread.  
Sighing in defeat Shinpachi left to do as instructed. When the boy returned Kagura was roasting her bread over the fire as if she was camping.  
The Yato shoved the whole loaf in her mouth, and her cheeks puffed up. Her eyes began to water, and soon she was whining.  
"OOOWWWW Eyebrow-Chan that bread burnt my tongue!"  
Peering at the girl Rein stopped. Instead of saying anything she offered another loaf.  
Her arm was down to only ten more. Standing by Rein's side Gintoki pulled one away.  
Kagura had already eaten half of what Rein had originally brought with her.  
Shinpachi stopped a meter away from the fire, and started to shovel up the dirt an grass alike; throwing it into the flames.  
As Rein had said, the fire started to die down. Kagura reached for another bit of melon pan and Rein scowled, turning away.  
"No, you had more then me!"  
"But Eyebrow-Chan! I'm a growing girl! I need more!"  
"NO!" Rein continued to turn her back to Kagura, as the Yato reached for more bread.  
Noticing the bag in Rein's hands, Gintoki moved around the woman, and started to nosily try to take it.  
"Claudia's Mysteries? What did you buy?" The man asked, and Rein pivoted away from him and Kagura.

"That really did work! Rein-San? Gin-San?" Turning around to face his friends, Shinpachi found the yard empty.  
The wooden fence was open, and the boy walked over to it.  
Shinpachi hadn't even realized that the bickering had grown farther away, and suddenly disappeared.

Sure enough the group was running down the street. Rein was in the lead shoving bread into her mouth like a mad man.  
Kagura was whining, and reaching for the woman. Gintoki was trying to get into the bag. In other words it was chaos.  
"ONE MORE! JUST GIVE ME ONE MORE!" Kagura called, and Rein stuffed an entire loaf into her mouth.  
"NEVER!" The woman proclaimed, looking incredibly alarmed. And angry.  
It was as if she had transformed into a monster, protecting her sweets and new négligées.

"How are you gonna make last night up to me, HUH? Show me what's in the bag!" Gintoki commanded, and Rein rounded a corner.  
"NO!" Rein shouted back.

Shinpachi sighed to himself, and turned to face the ruined garden.  
Well, one thing was for sure. They weren't getting paid for this. Most likely the old man would sue them.  
Just as Shinpachi started to slip away from the "Crime scene" the older man returned to his house.  
"Oh, Boy! Did you finish tending to the plants?"  
Wide eyed, Shinpachi turned to face the burnt remains of the garden.  
"Eh, well... Yes... Sort of..." He stammered, feeling his lips poke out in alarm.  
The old man got out of his car, and walked to the boy's side. Frozen in place Shinpachi stared across the street.  
He should have run with everybody else. Should have fled while he had the chance. The burns on his clothes made him guilty.  
There was no denying it.

The old man peered back into the garden, and gasped.  
"Wh- What's this?! What is this?!" He shouted, obviously angered.  
Shinpachi slowly turned to face the garden, searching his mind for an excuse. The old man stormed past him, and to a bush.  
"This isn't supposed to bloom until November..." He stated in a low tone.  
Shinpachi sighed in relief, yet still tried to find an excuse for the garden bed.  
"H- How- HOW COULD YOU?!" The man shouted, and Shinpachi immediately jumped.  
Nervousness consumed the boy, and he forced himself to answer.  
"I- I didn't do it! A storm-"

"You left the water hose on... Youngsters these days just don't know the importance of being mindful of resources... What will happen to the fish if you use all of their water?"  
The old man walked to the wall of his house and turned the hose off. With that he walked over to an on edge Shinpachi and paid him.  
"Well done son."  
The older man offered a sight pat on the shoulder and continued away, seemingly oblivious to the burnt black remains of his flower garden.  
Slowly turning away from the backyard Shinpachi left.


	27. Plans

"NO! Stop chasing me!" Rein shouted at the two chasing after her. When she turned back, she only found Gintoki. Kagura was gone. Slowing down Rein came to a complete halt, panting. Gintoki was panting as well, and reached for the bag. Moving her arm, Rein peered around the streets. The Yato girl was nowhere to be found. Tens of cars passed by, and large buildings loomed overhead. Gintoki leaned onto his knees, and gazed up at Rein.  
"So? How- How're you gonna make it up to me?" He panted the words, and Rein shook her head.  
"Y- You should just be happy- I took your damn advice." She stated turning and walking away. Gintoki followed her, taking an occasional swipe at the bag. Simply snatching said bag out of the way, Rein ignored the man for the most part. It was not until she saw a man sitting on the floor of an ally with a single cup. He was clothed in rags, and wore thick glasses. A dingy brown hat shielded him from the sun, and he peered up at Rein.  
"Can you spare a bit of change miss? I- I'm so hungry... I haven't eaten in days..." The man extended his cup towards the woman, and her expression grew grieved. Rein's eyebrows twisted up in pity, and she grabbed her two remaining melon pan from her arm. The woman placed them on top of the man's cup, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.  
"Th- Thank you so much! I- I-" Without completing his sentence, he chomped down on the two buns, swallowing them whole. The man stood up and pulled his clothes and glasses away; revealing a very familiar Yato girl. She laughed in her sudden rush of victory, and Rein's jaw dropped.  
"Gin-Chan you were right! Working together is-"  
"KAGURA-CHA-" Before Rein could even yell her name, Gintoki tugged the bag away.  
"Why's it so heavy? What's-"  
Turning to glare at him Rein snatched it back, and vengefully smacked him in the shoulder with her unusually heavy bag. The man lost his balance, and started to wave his arms around in an attempt to steady himself. Kagura continued to laugh, and Rein stormed away.

"OI! WAIT! DAMN IT REIN!"  
Ignoring the man's voice behind her, Rein decided to search for a convenience store.

* * *

Hours later, Rein had dropped her bag off at the loft, and of course bought more bread. She still hadn't had her fill. After picking up some sukonbu, milk, and assorted other things, the woman walked to the Yorozura. Shinpachi greeted her at the door, and Rein suspiciously eyed the room behind him.  
"Where's Gintoki?" She whispered, and the calm smile on Shinpachi's face faded into a curious stare.  
"He's in the shower."

Nodding, Rein smirked.  
"Good. I wanted to talk to you and Kagura-Chan."

Once inside, Rein gathered the kids and they sat on the couch. An obvious air of confusion and anxiousness hung around them.  
"First things first..." Rein placed their bags on the table and gave Kagura her sukonbu. She allowed Shinpachi to pick out anything he would like, because she had no clue. Once everybody was happily munching on their favorite foods Rein continued.  
"Gintoki's birthday is in five days-"  
"What!? Gin-Chan has a-"  
Clamping a hand over Kagura's mouth, Rein eyed the girl.  
"Shh."  
Nodding, Kagura pulled away from the hand, and started to eat again.  
"I want to go somewhere... All of us. Let's go on a vacation." The woman's words caused wide grins to spread across the kid's faces.  
"Really?!" Jumping up the kids asked the question in unison.  
Rein crossed her arms and nodded seriously. This was not just about Gintoki's birthday. Well, it was but also she had an ulterior motive. If he was still upset with her, then the best course of action would be to take him away. From stress that is. When one person tries to kill another, all you can do is take the would-be killer as far away from the would be dead person. Out of sight out of mind. Right?

"So we need to figure how to get him to follow us without growing suspicious. I know the perfect place to go. It's like a training ground but it's really fun. We can all practice fighting and go on boat rides, there's even another girl you could play with Kagura-Chan." Offering a smile Rein peered up at the girl. Excitement coursed through the teenagers as Rein continued.  
"They've got really nice rooms, and good food. Some rooms even have huge TVs. And you won't have to pay a dime. I'll take care of it all."

Eyes widening the kids looked as if they had just died an gone to heaven. Ambushed by open arms and cries of enthusiasm, Rein could do nothing but awkwardly remain in place as the teenagers hugged her.

"Oi! What's with all the damn yelling?!"  
The kids stopped, and Rein turned around to face an almost naked Gintoki. The man had a towel wrapped around his waist and was rubbing an extra white towel on his hair. He stared at Rein, slightly surprised to find her there. The woman was equally stunned at the sight of him fresh out of the shower. Suddenly wishing that the kids weren't hugging her, Rein averted her gaze. Those were horrible thoughts to have around Kagura and Shinpachi!  
But then again... Glistening muscles... Dripping white curly hair. Before she knew it her face was flushing.

"So? What are you all happy for?" Though the man sounded annoyed, Rain knew he was just trying to conceal his curiosity. The kids stared at each other, and Rein stood up.  
"I- Uh, came over to cook for everybody. Shinpachi said he'd help me... Kagura too..."

Frowning in confusion, Gintoki stopped draped his hair towel around his neck and grabbed both ends with his hands. The man was obviously suspicious, and Rein shifted her gaze.  
"So uh... Go put some clothes on! And... Leave this to..." Glancing back at the kids, Rein frowned. Cooking with Kagura was a horrible idea. There probably wouldn't be anything left to cook once the girl entered the kitchen.  
"Us." The woman finished.

Eying Rein, Gintoki remained in place for a moment, before turning to his room. He never averted his gaze from her, and she crossed her arms in an attempt to act natural. Which only made her discomfort even more apparent. Gintoki walked to his room, watching Rein over his shoulder. Turning towards the door he slowly slid it shut. The man's eyes remained in the opening until there was no more space left, and Rein wondered if he was suspicious r trying to seduce her. Either way, her Shinpachi and Kagura had to come up with a plan.

* * *

**A/N: Hi! Silly me, I seem to have posted the last chapter twice! So- Here is the REAL 27. Yeah. I made a mistake. But hopefully this fixes it. lol**


	28. What's Cookin'

In the kitchen, Rein, Kagura, and Shinpachi murmured back and forth. Rein and Shinpachi had managed to persuade Kagura to just sit on the counter while they chopped everything up and cooked it. The girl still couldn't refrain from grabbing an occasional piece of food, but as long as it wasn't too much Rein didn't mind.  
"So how are we gonna do this?" Glancing at Kagura over her shoulder Rein spoke. The girl was eating an apple, and shrugged.  
"Maybe we could tell him we're going somewhere." She offered and Rein snickered.  
"Yeah, of course. But where? ... Shinpachi, pass me the broth..."  
The boy obliged and returned to cutting decorative designs in shitake mushrooms.  
"Maybe a movie? Or somewhere that sells really good food." He offered, and Rein stopped pouring the broth in the pot.  
"Yeah. You're right! Food... Like a special bakery or something?" Peering at Kagura again, Rein scowled.  
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH THOSE!" The woman quickly snatched a container of strawberries from the girl, who pouted.  
"But I only had-"  
"Half of the container." Rein finished, shaking her head. Snickering lightly, the woman pulled a box of melon pan from one of her plastic bags.  
She handed it to the red head, smiling.  
"You can have all of those."

Excited, Kagura yanked the box away and started to stuff the bread into her mouth.  
Turning back to the pot, Rein continued to cook the freshly added vegetables, and Shinpachi reached into the cabinet overhead; grabbing noodles.

"So a bakery it is... Any ideas for names? Like-" The woman stopped mid-sentence, and froze in place as Gintoki walked into the kitchen. She didn't turn to face him, and the man suspiciously walked up behind her. All form of chatter died, and the three of them shifted their gaze as Gintoki walked to the refrigerator. The man grabbed a carton of strawberry milk, and stared at the three in the kitchen. Closing the door of the Refrigerator he leaned onto it, and crossed his arms. The room was deathly silent. Nobody was even looking at him. After taking a swig of his milk Gintoki leaned up and stepped behind Rein. He peered over the woman's shoulder, and the fact that she didn't even acknowledge him confirmed that something was up. Well that and when she looked up at him from the corner of her eyes, looking increasingly sneaky.  
"What're you cooking? What were you talking about?" The man asked, and Shinpachi started to nervously chuckle. Glaring daggers at the boy in an attempt to stop his suspicious actions, Rein shrugged.  
"This and that." She stated in a low, calm tone. The woman returned to stirring the pot, as if nothing was happening, and life slowly returned to the small kitchen. Shinpachi gathered the cooked meat from a frying pan, and Kagura continued to eat her bread.  
A pair of arms wrapped around Rein's waist, and she tried her best to ignore the contact.

"You didn't answer my question..."  
Growing nervous, Rein froze in place as Gintoki tightened said arms and leaned over her. He placed his jaw on her shoulder and a deep blush set across the woman's face. Kagura started to snicker, and Shinpachi pretended as if nothing was happening.  
"Ewww." The girl could be heard saying in the background, and Rein shifted her gaze.  
"Gin... Uh... Erm... Could you..? I- I need to uh..." Trying to think of a way to stop the man from being so close, Rein glanced around the room for help. Nobody was even looking at them. It was so awkward that the kids refused to even look.  
"What?" Gintoki asked in a bored tone, managing to further Rein's discomfort.  
"I- I- Umm... The- The noodles... I need to get the noodles..."  
Before she could move Shinpachi thrust a plastic wrapped square of thin noodles towards the woman, and she fell into despair. There was no escape. Rein stared at the noodles, unsure of whether or not she should take them. Darkness surrounded her and time seemed to stop. Should she feign dissatisfaction, and say they were all wrong? Should she accept them? Gintoki was obviously having fun with her. The man really was a demon, he was doing this on purpose! Standing behind her and drinking his milk as if he hadn't a single care in the world. He undoubtedly held his standard deadpan expression; acting as if he wasn't doing anything. Before the woman could come to a conclusion, Gintoki grabbed the noodles. He leaned up and opened them. Throwing the food into the pot, he stared down at Rein who was helplessly gazing up at him. Yeah. She was trapped. He knew something was up.

Rein turned away and started to vigorously stir the hot pot. Smirking to himself, Gintoki stared down at the woman. This was too easy. She still wasn't used to him. After all this time he could easily tease her, and she would be too flustered to stop him. Or brush it off like it was nothing. Kagura excused herself, her exact words being "You two are creepy. I'm gonna find something fun to do." And Shinpachi started to organize the pantry as if things weren't awkward enough for Rein. Gintoki's arms laced around her waist again and he brought his lips to her ear.  
"Oi... Come to my room... I'll make it worth your while..." He murmured the words and Rein's eyes widened.  
"I- I'm cooking..." She stated in a small voice which only showed Gintoki that his plan was working.  
Tightening his arms, Gintoki slowly pulled the woman's belt which easily came undone in his hands. Rein tensed against the man, and released the wooden spoon she had been holding. Instead she gripped her yukata, holding it closed. A firm hand slipped under the fabric and Gintoki squeezed her hip.  
"Yeah... Me too."

It made no sense that he could make such a corny line sound sexy. Actually, his statement made no sense in itself. The man slowly pulled way from Rein, and she turned to face him as he waked back to his room. He had kept her belt. And was staring at her the whole time, donning a suggestive smirk. Peering at Shinpachi over her shoulder, she found the boy wide eyed. Apparently he had been watching the scene. Pervert. Ignoring the fact that her face had turned fifty shades of red, Rein motioned to the hot pot.  
"Uh... You might wanna keep an eye on this..." With that she hurriedly followed after Gintoki leaving the boy slightly confused and flustered.

Gintoki had just come in and started undressing her. Rein seemed just as flustered as he was, but the woman chased after Gintoki. How the hell could such a lazy man have her wrapped around his fingers like that?!


	29. Information

The moment Rein pulled Gintoki's door open he yanked her inside, and slid it shut behind her. Before she could even react he had her back against the wall. At least she wasn't wearing some dirty lingerie Okita had forced her into. Leaning towards the woman, Gintoki smirked. Allowing her belt to fall from his hands which were on the wall around her, the man inched towards her lips.  
"So what's going on?" He asked in a low, alarmingly friendly tone. The room was mostly dark, the only light sources being the door and window. Shifting her gaze, Rein tried not to fall for his trap... Which she had walked right into. It was like telling an otaku that a man down the street was going to burn all of his comic books and trash his figurines. Of course they would turn up with the hopes of salvaging the 'precious' items.  
"Nothing." Rein murmured, trying not to look into his eyes. She mentally kicked herself for walking into such a blatant trap. Now she was powerless.  
"Nothing?" The man asked, bringing his lips to her neck. But he didn't touch her. She could feel his warm breath, and it caused goosebumps to surface on her skin. His hands slid to her yukata and slowly pulled it open.  
"Yeah... Nothing..." Rein echoed, reaching up to grip his shirt.  
"Really? You're not hiding something from me?"  
"No..." Though Rein tried to resist the man she found herself unable to. The only thing she could do was continue to deny the fact that she was indeed trying to keep a secret.

"Are you sure?" Gintoki asked as his hands slid over her body. Rein lightly exhaled as one hand slid around her back, and the other to her inner thigh.  
"Uh... Yeah... I'm sure..."  
Responding was growing difficult. Her mind clouded with lust, and she peered at Gintoki through the darkness. Without giving him time to react she turned her head and crashed her lips into his. The man eagerly returned her kiss, and tightly pulled her against himself. The hand on Rein's thigh slipped dangerously close to her middle, yet when she tried to move towards him he moved away. Pulling his lips from hers, Gintoki smirked.  
"There's _nothing_ you want to tell me?"  
"Uh, no..." Rein sighed, trying to recapture the mans lips. He continued to lean away from her, refusing to indulge the woman.  
"So you weren't talking about me at all?"  
"Ye- No... No... We weren't..."

She slipped up. He was positive now. She was hiding something. The man knelt down in front of her, and started to barely tug at her panties. Rein eagerly awaited what was coming next. But to her disappointment, Gintoki didn't take them off. Simply lowered the fabric around her hips and kissed where the fabric had once rested. She groaned in protest, but Gintoki ignored the sound as he stood back up. Grabbing her wrists, the man pushed them over Rein's head. She tried to lean into him, arching her back, and he let her. But not completely. Leaning towards the woman he stopped only a breath away from her lips.  
"What was in that bag?"  
Rein didn't answer. She was lost in her own thoughts, and chewing on her lower lip. It was obvious that he was getting to her, and a satisfied rush of victory surged through him. At this rate she would crack in no time. Moving one hand over her wrists, Gintoki slid his newly freed hand down her body; barely even touching the woman. She moaned ever so lightly, and he brought his lips to her neck again. This time he ran his tongue over her skin, and lightly bit down. His fingers stopped as the seem of her underwear, and anticipation swelled within the woman. Moving as slowly as possible Gintoki moved to her middle, leaving the fabric between them. He halted, knowing that the teasing was killing Rein.  
"So I've been thinking about a new position..."  
"Oh yeah?" Rein breathed. Her heart seemed to be pushing a million beats per second, and she peered up at the ceiling.

"Yeah... We should try it..." Gintoki suggested, slowly moving his fingers against her. Rein squirmed and another low moan parted her lips.  
"Y- Yeah..." She managed, and Gintoki bit down on her skin again. He started to roughly move against her, and Rein could do nothing but wiggle her hips, and try to keep her voice down. Minutes passed, and when Gintoki was sure that her panties had been saturated with excitement, he pulled away. Rein panted against the wall, peering at him from the corner of her eyes. A triumphant smirk had curled his lips. She knew that wasn't a good expression.  
" Giinn..." She groaned, and he teasingly leaned towards her.  
"Yeah?"

"Come on... Stop making me wait..."  
Snickering, Gintoki shook his head.  
"What are you talking about? I'm not hiding anything from you..."  
The random statement proved that this was indeed a planned attack from the enemy. Frowning, Rein continued to try to coax the man into continuing. Using something other then his hand of course. Her pleading had no effect. That damn sadist. Trying to free her wrists, Rein leaned towards Gintoki's lips. He moved away, and his gripped proved to be too tight. What. The. Fuck.  
"Seriously, Gin, come on..."

Music to Gintoki's ears. But music he would ignore, for the time being. It wasn't like this wasn't getting to him. It was mostly the fact that Rein was practically begging for his big johnny. (Because his wasn't little. On no. He had the one true Big Johnny.) Grinning, Gintoki shook his head.  
"I think the hot pot is done." The man released her wrists, snickering.  
Rein's jaw dropped, and just as Gintoki was about to move away from her she clutched his shirt and swept her foot under his. As expected Gintoki fell over, and Rein landed atop him.  
"You're not just gonna walk away after that." She stated, sounding alarmingly threatening. Gintoki leaned up and before he could utter a single word Rein pulled him to her lips. The woman started to grind against him, and he knew he had lost the power position. It was already hard enough to keep himself from getting excited, but like this? Impossible! What can you do when there's some crazy warrior woman trying to molest you? But he had to maintain control. He couldn't let her do this! Rein tugged his shirt open, and her velvet hands glided over his chest. Not good. Big Johnny was betraying Gintoki. Or maybe it was the other way around.

Willing himself to move, Gintoki rolled over on top of Rein. The woman wrapped her legs around his hips; pulling him against herself. Shit. Unable to resist, Gintoki pushed his tongue past her lips. Shit! This wasn't the plan! Rein had latched onto him. She had him in a death grip. One arm around his shoulders; pulling him closer. And a hand to his jaw; making it impossible for him to do anything but kiss her. And she was getting more heated by the second...  
Rein rolled over on top of the man, and he, in turn did the same; assuming the power position. Biting down on his lip, Rein moved one of her legs from around his, and started to pull his shirt away. Gintoki obliged, silently scolding himself. He had teased too much. Now he was trapped in his own trap! Leaning up, Gintoki pinned Rein to the ground. Instructing her to remain in place he lowered his hands to his pants, as if he would take them off. When a satisfied smirk curled Rein's lips, he jumped to his feet and dashed towards the door.

"GINTOKI! DAMN IT!"  
The woman could be heard yelling behind him, but he didn't stop. Not until the door was closed behind him and he was safely locked in the bathroom. Cold water was the best option. He could _not_ give in. Not until he received his information, she had to tell him what the hell was going on. Apparently using sex against her was a dangerous idea. But Who knew that she would get so forceful?


	30. Sweet and Sinister

"Oh, Kagura-Chan! Don't drink all of the broth! You might have to use the bathroom and then that perm head will be force to open the door!" Rein called, taking care to be loud enough for Gintoki to hear her. That idiot had refused to leave the bathroom. He knew that the moment the door opened he was bound to be attacked. In a sense. So instead of bothering herself with an attempt to make him come out, Rein just made sure to speak loud enough for him to hear her. Kagura grinned as she scarfed down a third bowl of the soup. When if had become obvious that Gintoki wouldn't come out, Rein placed a bowl aside for the man, as she was sure Kagura would eat it all. She sat on the couch with Shinpachi an the Yato girl, and they were all eating with a small conversation being exchanged between them. If Gintoki remained in the bathroom, they could speak of the plan in hushed tones, and they had worked out all of the details in their short amount of time. Sighing, Rein grabbed Kagura's newly empty bowl.

"Oh nooo! Kagura-Chan, you can't be full yet! Here, eat the rest of the hot pot. I'll get you some strawberry milk too!" Rein smirked at the kids, who snickered in response. It was obvious that she was just teasing Gintoki, but she did in fact make Kagura another bowl. In the kitchen she found a bottle of alcohol, which after a moment of contemplation she decided to take. Upon returning to the table she handed Kagura a new bowl of soup, and poured herself a small glass of sake.  
"Eyebrow-Chan! Can you drink that stuff?" The Yato asked, an Rein snickered.  
"Of course. I'm an adult." Her reasoning never seemed to change, and earned a curious stare from the girl. Shinpachi stood up, and carried his bowl to the kitchen.

Thirty minutes late Rein felt her head beginning to spin. She walked to the bathroom door and lightly knocked against it.  
"What?" Gintoki asked after the third attempt at knocking.  
"Oi, get out here!" Rein commanded.

Knowing that this wasn't a good combination, Gintoki tried to contemplate the situation before him. Rein sounded like she had been drinking. She had been trying to lure him out of the bathroom for an hour now. But he couldn't give up. She would have to leave or go to sleep eventually. The man had been reading an old jump book which had been tossed under the sink ages ago. He heard the flick of a lighter, signaling that Rein was probably smoking a cigarette.  
"Gin, come on. Let's go to bed." She suggested, and he glanced at the door. Gintoki had expected her to give up by now, but apparently he had been wrong. Trying to ignore the woman, he convinced himself it was for the better.  
"Fine!" She called after five minutes.

"I will just help myself to all of your sake and strawberries. Also, you know it's not wise to deny me. I can break this door down... So can Kagura, once she finishes eating. And Shinpachi... Well, I'm not sure about that kid, but you know."

"OI!" Shinpachi could be heard in the background.

"Don't worry, Shin-Kun, It's okay." Rein snickered, and then a brilliant idea crossed her. Standing up, she grabbed the bottle of sake and grinned.

"Shin-Kun, come here!"

Frowning, Gintoki stared at the door. What was that woman doing? He didn't like this sound of this. Not one bit. Rein was obviously trying to get to him, but he couldn't let it happen. Just as he told himself not to fall for it, he heard a very suspicious exchange of dialogue.  
"What do you need?" Shinpachi had asked.  
"A little help... Here, take this off..." Rein commanded. They fell silent, and Gintoki could hear rustling outside of the door.  
"I know you're under aged, but I won't tell anyone you touched it okay?" The woman snickered, evilly at that.

"Are you sure? I've never-"  
"It's fine!" Rein interrupted still snickering.

Gintoki couldn't help but wonder what the hell they were doing. It didn't sound right. Rein had planned this. But he couldn't help but want to look now. Just to set his mind at ease. Shinpachi was too innocent to be doing anything improper. Rein would never violate his little brother, right? Standing up, Gintoki walked to the door.

"Okay, now take this out..." Rein instructed, and Shinpachi mumbled an okay.  
Unable to take the suspense, Gintoki snatched the door open. Rein and Shinpachi peered at him, and the man felt relief sweep over him. Despite Rein's sinister expression. They were holding a bottle of sake which the label had been taken off of, and a container of strawberries which Shinpachi was eating. Well, at least Rein hadn't been lying about what she was doing. After concealing his slightly worried expression Gintoki grabbed the woman and dragged her to his room, ignoring the curious stare he was receiving from Shinpachi.

Back in Gintoki's room, Rein sat on the futon, smirking in accomplishment. Ignoring the woman, Gintoki focused on trying to shift the focus of her thoughts. After a few minutes she mentioned that she had put some food aside for him. In all actuality he hadn't expected her to save anything for him while she was "frustrated" with him, but that was a very welcome statement. The man left to get his food, and Rein continued to drink. Se had been so focused trying to get Gintoki out of the bathroom that he had completely forgotten why she was trying to in the first place. The fact that she wasn't much of a drinker only furthered her lack of coordination, and she ended up falling asleep while Gintoki was eating.

When the man returned to the room, he couldn't help but grin. Success and adoration had consumed him. He had won. And Rein maintained a scowl as she slept, which was sort of cute. Soon Gintoki slipped into the futon beside her, positive that he would find out what the hell she was planning.


	31. Take a Hike

Soft morning light illuminated the world as Rein, Kagura, and Shinpachi led Gintoki towards a forest. They had convinced him to follow behind them, and not to bring his scooter. Kagura was riding on Sadaharu, and the group had also packed a small amount of necessary items to bring with them, strapping everything on the dog. It wasn't much, simply a few changes of clothes for all, toiletries, and some food items Rein had insisted on bringing, such as water and snacks. Nobody knew exactly how far they would be walking, but with the way Rein talked about the place they were headed towards the kids found it impossible to refuse. They had only been walking for an hour before Gintoki spoke.  
"Where the hell are we going? You said it was a bakery! We're in the middle of a jungle!"  
Snickering, Rein shook her head.  
"No we aren't. It's a really special private bakery. Normal people don't know anything about it."  
Her answer seemed to satisfy the man, and a large grin curled his lips.  
"What kind of food do they have?"  
"Delicious kind." Kagura answered.  
It seemed that this bit of information left Gintoki to fantasize about all sorts of baked goods.

Two hours later, everybody had started to complain. Kagura grumbled about being hungry, to which Rein told her to eat some (not all) of the snacks they had packed. Shinpachi murmured something about a bathroom break, which seemed to ease Gintoki's impatience, giving him something to pick at the boy about instead of making snide remarks about how the bakery better be "damn well worth the hike". Thick foliage surrounded the group, and Rein led the way, just happy that everything was gong according to plan.  
"Is it safe out here? I think I hear something."  
Turning to face Gintoki, Rein snickered.  
"Of course it's safe. Wild life prefer to attack each other, not humans."  
No sooner then she completed the sentence did the group hear a blood curdling scream.  
The group halted for a moment, but Rein continue ahead. She offered an unnaturally cheerful smile, and peered at them over her shoulder.  
"Come on, don't stop. It's just ahead." An oddly calm and friendly voice was used to speak the words, which didn't help calm Gintoki, or the kids one bit. They remained frozen in place, wide eyed.

"O- O- Oi... I think I just heard a-"  
"It was nothing!" Rein waved her hand dismissively, still grinning.

_"OH MY GOD! IT'S GONNA KILL ME! HEELLLLPPP!"_

This voice in the distance wasn't part of the plan, and definitely helping Rein convince the group that everything was okay.  
"That was something! You heard that didn't you!?"  
"I heard it Gin-Chan." Kagura turned to face Gintoki, smiling like Rein.

"It's okay." The girl said,only managing to freak the men out even more.

Gintoki and Shinpachi gazed at each other, their faces twisted with terror. Sadaharu continued to follow Rein, whining, and soon Gintoki and Shinpachi decided not to be left alone and trailed behind them. A struggle could be heard in the distance, only furthering their discomfort. When another scream sounded followed by an alarming gurgling sound, Gintoki couldn't take any more.  
"_WHY ARE WE GOING TOWARDS IT?!" _He exclaimed, and Rein turned to face him, still smiling.  
"We aren't it's approaching us."  
"Is that supposed to make me feel _BETTER_?! Did you just try to make me feel better about it coming _HERE_ instead of us having the choice of walking away?!"

The woman laughed in response, and shook her head. After a few minutes more of walking she stopped.  
"Okay, you all stay here and rest! I'm gonna go use the little girl's room!"  
"Yeah me too!" Kagura piped in, climbing off of Sadaharu. The dog sat down, and Gintoki and Shinpachi remained in place, staring after them wide eyed. Moments later there was a fearsome roar, and the struggling sounds got louder. A tree fell in the distance, and some womanly war cries could be heard. After a machine gun sounded, the two returned to Gintoki and Shinpachi covered in blood.

"Okay, I feel much better now!"  
"Me too!" Kagura added, sounding just as oddly cheerful as Rein. Without a word the group started moving again, Gintoki and Shinpachi exchanging glances between each other and the two blood stained girls. This was definitely not a safe forest...


	32. Awkward Introductions

The sun had started to set by the time that they reached their adorned the path to the large glass door and wall of the lobby. A waterfall could be seen beside the building, leading into a rushing river. The air was fresh and damp. Vines hung from the impossibly tall trees, and wild life could be heard in the distance. Exhausted, the group follow Rein (Who appeared to be used to this sort of thing) inside. The moment she walked over the stone floor and to the front desk excitement flickered across the face of the man behind the desk. Gintoki watched, as Dai (In his mind some buff warrior man) pulled Rein into a tight bear hug.  
"Rein! You're back! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Too excited to even notice the group Rein had brought, Dai started to ramble on about his daughter Nanako, and how business has been lately.  
Gintoki glared at the man, planning his first attack.  
"And I told Nanako-"  
"Umm, Dai?" Rein tried to interrupter the man, yet he didn't seem to hear her. He continued to hug, and talk. The Woman's arms hung limply by her sides, as Dai ran a hand over her hair and she tried to bring his attention to her friends (Mainly Gintoki).  
"So the guys grabbed their swords and-"  
"Dai!"

Pulling back, He gazed down at Rein curiously.  
"What?"

Stepping away, Rein motioned towards her friends who were all looking baffled. Except Gintoki. He just look pissed. The man was glaring at Dai with an expression that could boil steel.  
"I- I brought some friends. We'd like to stay a few nights, and I'll cover the expenses." She stated, trying not to look as awkward as she felt.  
"Oh, yeah. Okay! I'll set it up, you know I don't charge yo-"  
"Don't worry about it!" Rein interrupted, glancing at Gintoki who was now walking over to her.  
"It's a group this time, I'll pay for everybody!" An awkward chuckle parted Rein's lips, and soon Dai joined in, masking the lack of comfort with his hearty laugh. As Gintoki reached Rein he wrapped his arms around her hips, and continued to glare daggers at Dai. The mans black hair had been folded into single long braid, draped over one of his broad shoulders. He hadn't noticed Gintoki as he was busy grabbing fresh sheets, and towels. When Dai looked up, he almost dropped said blankets, yet continued to focus on setting everything up.

"Do you know which rooms you want?" He asked and Rein nodded.  
"The usual for me-"  
"**US**." Gintoki interrupted. The woman peered at him over her shoulder, and he glared down at her. The look was enough to slightly freighted even Rein, and she nodded slowly.  
"Uhh, yeah... For us, and the two retreat rooms for the kids." When she finished Dai nodded, and started checking off the rooms on the clipboard.

"Look, it's Eyebrow-San! Before she got old!"  
"OLD?!" Rein turned to face Kagura who seemed oblivious to the unexpected insult. The girl was pointing a picture hanging on the wall. It was of Rein a few years back, wearing a black Kimono and armour. She was also holing her master's sword, and scowling at the camera. At the time the woman hadn't wanted to take that picture. But in a small box to the side there was one of her rare smiles, caught while she was laughing; which made her hate it even more.  
"Shi no Komori-uta?" Shinpachi asked, as he stepped towards the picture, Kagura also followed, with Sadaharu close behind her.

Trying to ignore the name, Rein stared straight ahead.  
"Alright, so you can pay when you're ready to leave. I still don't feel right about charging you..." Dai added the last part in a low tone and Rein shook her head.  
"Nonsense. It's a business, you have to profit." She responded.

When Dai saw the kid's interest in the picture he grinned.  
"You like it?" He asked and they peered at him over their shoulders.  
"This is Dai, an old comrade." Rein stated, trying to draw attention away from the picture. The woman shifted her gaze between the kids and Gintoki. After taking another second to glare at Dai (Who either didn't notice or didn't care) Gintoki dragged Rein to the picture. He wanted to see it as well, but wouldn't leave her alone by that overly fit desk boy. Rein didn't offer much resistance, and soon Dai had joined everybody in front of the picture.

"It's very important here. The picture, and her nickname. You see, one night we found my wife... Her life had been taken... And Rein here hel-"  
"Dai." Rein interrupted. Despite Gintoki's possessiveness, the woman took a step towards her friend, and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he peered up at her it was apparent that even the thought of his wife caused morosity to swell inside the man.  
"It's fine. You don't need to explain..." The sudden stern tone of Rein's voice seemed to surprise her group, and Dai offered a slight nod. After a moment of silence he started towards the stairs.

"Let me show you to your rooms. Nanako will be happy to see you again, Shi." Shifting her gaze Rein nodded.  
'_Why must he call me __**death**__ in front of my boyfriend?'_


	33. Chasing Waterfalls

After a long awaited night of rest Gintoki, Kagura and Shinpachi decided to find out what the place was about. Forests were not their typical choice of location, but the beautiful scenery made up for it. As lazy as can be, Rein chose to sleep in, which didn't exactly bother Gintoki. He understood. That hike was not an easy one, nor was it short. The man took a shower in what he believed to be the most amazing bath tub ever; carved out of stone with a water pipe almost ten feet over it. Truly a samurai's dream. It didn't surprise him that the woman would know of such a place. He assumed that even she would need an occasional break from the constant killing and fighting which seemed to encompass her world.

Kagura and Shinpachi had rooms beside each other, and though Gintoki wanted to watch TV with them, he opted to try to get them outside instead. Maybe find some things to do in the place. The name of the business was the Wounded Warrior's Retreat, and while they weren't wounded it seemed just fine for them to retreat, as the name stated. Of course, when Gintoki tried to get Kagura out of her room, she whined, saying Sadaharu would be lonely, or asking what would happen to the piles of food that Dai had provided. Knowing that if he left the girl to do as she pleased she would weigh three hundred pounds, Gintoki urged her to come with him (His exact words being "Get up stupid, there's stuff to do here").

Shinpachi, of course, was much easier to get outside. The boy obliged without a second thought. Their rooms seemed to be identical. Wooden paneling covered the floor and wall, but their things did not fold out of the walls. They had desks and dressers, as well as a large TV plastered on the wall across from the bed. It seemed as though this sort of place would cost a fortune to stay in, and after wondering how Rein could afford everything Gintoki led the kids outside. Considering the fact that Rein was indeed a "Hobo-San" when he met her, this sort of change was unexpected, at the least.

"Gin-Chan! Look, boats!" Kagura was the first to speak. Sunlight seemed to blind Gintoki, and he glanced over the terrain to the best of his ability to spot the boats in question. The man blocked his eyes with a single hand, which helped a bit.  
"Have you ever been on one of these, Kagura-Chan? It's a canoe." Shinpachi started to walk, and Gintoki instinctively followed the boy. He still hadn't located the boats, but was positive the kid would show him. Kagura started walking in the opposite direction. After a moment of following Shinpachi, Gintoki grew confused. It wasn't until the boy knelt down and peered at a flower that annoyance crossed Gintoki.  
"Where the hell are you taking me?!" He asked, and Shinpachi peered up at him, befuddled

"What?"  
"I'm trying to follow you to the boat!" He stated, and Shinpachi frowned.  
"Kagura-Chan went over there; I didn't know you were following me." Shrugging Shinpachi motioned to the bright blue flower by his feet.  
"These are rare."

Shaking his head Gintoki walked off to find Kagura. The girl had already thrown the boat into the river, and was apparently waiting for Gintoki and Shinpachi.  
"Oi! Gin-Chan four people can fit! Get Eyebrow-San!" The Yato called to him, and Gintoki shook his head.  
"She's sleeping."

The statement earned a laugh from Shinpachi, and Gintoki turned to look at the boy over his shoulder.  
"She's more like you then we thought."  
Unsure of whether that was an insult or a compliment, Gintoki climbed into the narrow canoe in the middle. There was an empty seat between him and Kagura, who was in the back. Shinpachi took the front seat, and soon the group was headed down the river.

Minutes passed, and Gintoki and Shinpachi took the paddles.  
"See? It's good to get outside. I bet this place costs an arm and a leg..."  
"What?! That guy's gonna cut off Eyebrow-San's leg?!" Kagura asked. Rolling his eyes, Gintoki turned to peer at the girl.  
"Not like that!" He corrected.

Shinpachi laughed, and shook his head.  
"That just means it's really expensive, Kagura-Chan." The boy informed. The information seemed to settle the girl, and she was relieved to find that Rein's leg would not be taken just so she could stay in such a nice room. The eyebrow would be safe for another day.

Oddly enough, the water below them seemed to start moving faster. They disregarded the change, figuring it was normal. Remaining in the center of the river, Gintoki and Shinpachi made a game of seeing who could row faster. Of course, Gintoki won. Lush greenery surrounded the stream, and birds sung in the background. Flowers of all kinds could be found. The air held a certain pure quality which could not be found in the city. It wasn't until Kagura pointed something out that the men wondered if this was such a good idea.

"Look at all the moss on that big rock!"

Gazing ahead, Gintoki and Shinpachi found a large jagged stone protruding from the water. That wasn't enough to worry them, but the sight of white water was. Their jaws dropped, despite the innocent grin on Kagura's face.  
"Gin-San! Do you know what to do?!" Shinpachi asked as they approached what they could only describe as impending doom.  
"Yeah! Don't run into the rocks!" Gintoki called back.

Completely oblivious to the now violent current below them, Kagura giggled and reached up towards a yellow butterfly over head. When the boat raced past the insect, she continued to reach; grinning. The terrified yells of her friends seemed to have no effect, as she pulled a camera that Rein had given her out of her pocket. The girl stared to take pictures of the scenery, and herself. Positive that Rein would be proud for her taking such good pictures, she grinned at the camera, looking as cute as possible. Fish were leaping in the water, and the girl thought it would make for a good picture. Kagura winked and stuck her tongue out, making a peace sign. She even took pictures of Gintoki and Shinpachi's horrified faces. Obviously, that wouldn't be as cute as the pictures of herself, she went to stick her tongue out again. The boat bounced down a tiny waterfall, and Kagura bit her tongue.  
"Oi! Watch where you're steering this thing!" She snapped, only to be met with expressions of pure terror.  
"We're gonna die!" Shinpachi exclaimed.

Confused Kagura peered ahead only to find that he was right. Ahead of them was a waterfall, much higher than the last. It looked as though the earth ended only ten meters ahead of them. Finally understanding why they were freaking out, Kagura's jaw dropped.  
"Why'd you take us here?!" She asked, and the men shook their heads.  
"We didn't! We didn't!" They defended trying to row in the opposite direction, or at least to the side of the river. Seeing the desperate situation Kagura dropped the camera, and started to paddle with her hands towards the shore. Only the back of the boat seemed to be moving, and soon it turned sideways. The only sound they could hear over their yelling was the rushing water, and the group continued to push towards the side of the river.

A low tree branch brought opportunity, and Kagura grabbed it as quickly as she could. The edge of the boat was only meters away from the waterfall. Pulling with all her might, Kagura managed to get the boat near the shore. Gintoki and Shinpachi grabbed a hold of a bush which was beside them, and for a second it seemed as though everything would be okay. Until a fish jumped in the boat. Kagura yelped in surprise and released the tree. Oblivious to the horrified expressions of her friends, she stomped on said fish. Needless to say, her foot went straight through the boat. Water started to fill the small canoe, and they started to sink into the icy liquid.

"Damn it! Brat!" Gintoki yelled, jumping onto the shore as quickly as possible, and held the boat as steady as he could manage. Shinpachi followed suit, but Kagura was grasping at something below.  
"Hurry up! get over here!" Gintoki commanded, but the girl was frantically searching for something.  
"Wait! Wait! My camera!"Kagura exclaimed.  
Sighing, Gintoki grabbed the girl. She barely managed to grasp the string of Rein's camera before she was pulled from the canoe. The boat rushed off, and over the waterfall.  
Pushing their way through the bushes, the group started back towards the lodge, just thankful that they were on the right side of the river.  
"It is gonna be okay? Is it broken Gin-Chan?"Kagura extended the silver device towards Gintoki, and he shrugged. Though her worry was apparent, the man didn't know much about that sort of thing. Despite his irritation, he decided not to be so harsh towards her, that fish thing was unexpected.  
"Probably."


	34. Amends

After a long, tedious hike back to the lodge, Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi were ready to call it a day. It was noon by the time they returned, and each of them were exhausted. The path back was filled with various small hills, and thick foliage. After pushing through the greenery, it didn't seem so beautiful anymore. More annoying than anything. Their moods had soured, and stomachs growled as they entered the ridiculously modern building. To their relief, Dai was nowhere to be found. At least they would not have to bother explaining why they looked so rough. Not a single word was exchanged as the group ascended the spiral staircase. The giant tree in the middle of the stairwell did not impress them this time. They wanted nothing more than to forget the boat, the forest, and everything else that this seemingly dangerous vacation encompassed.

Bears also seemed to be one of the many wonderful creatures stirring in the woods. While they had avoided being mauled to death it still provided a scare. Reaching the hallway, the group listlessly continued towards their rooms. Gintoki's door was the first they reached, and the man promised himself the first thing he would do was crawl back in bed with Rein, and sleep. As he grumbled a "See ya later" to the kids, the door was pulled open. Rein was fully dressed, and apparently ready to go out. Of course, she would have to do it alone; there was no chance in hell that they would step outside again. Her eyes immediately widened, and her brows furrowed at the sight of the now tattered bunch. They all stared at her in dismay, and silence surrounded the four. Cuts and scrapes covered their arms, and Kagura's camera hung limply by her side.

"What _happened_ to you?!" Rein finally exclaimed, confusion taking her features. Everybody looked at each other, waiting to see who would answer the question. When nobody replied, Shinpachi took the liberty.  
"We almost died."

"Wha- _How_?" The woman asked. Shaking his head, Gintoki passed the woman, and entered the room.  
"We went on a hike." Sighing, the man pulled his dirty yukata off. Kagura walked up to Rein and handed her the camera.  
"It fell in the river." The girl stated, and Rein stared at the device in confusion. She nodded, and soon Kagura and Shinpachi were continuing towards their rooms. Turning towards Gintoki, Rein closed the door behind herself. The man had completely stripped down, and was running a bath. Though he never wanted to see water again, he also did not want to be covered in dirt and dried blood. Concerned, Rein walked to his side as he laid down in the stone bathtub.  
"How badly were you injured?" Though she used her usual stern tone, Gintoki could hear her worry. He glanced at her for a second before allowing his head to fall back on the cool stone of the tub. Warm spring water poured over him from the bamboo spout above, quickly filling the bath.  
"It's nothing." He sighed.

Two hands softly kneaded his shoulders, and a pair of lips pressed against his neck. Gintoki opened his eyes, only to find Rein standing behind him.  
"I should have shown you the best paths yesterday, forgive me..." After murmuring the words, Rein pulled away. With the push of a button, Rein stopped the water, which was only an inch away from spilling over the rim of the tub.  
"I will prepare a meal in the main kitchen downstairs. Is there anything you want?"

Gazing at the woman, Gintoki nodded.  
"Strawberry milk, and chocolate cake..."  
The two stared at each other, donning equally deadpan expressions. Breakfast normally consisted of a balanced diet, or fruit in their case, but since the day had started out rough, Rein wouldn't question his choice. After a moment of silence, she nodded.

As promised, Rein brought the man the food he requested. She laid a small tray on the bed beside Gintoki, and he eagerly started to devour everything in sight. A fresh fruit salad had also been added to his meal, and the strawberry milk seemed to be freshly made. Before he could so much as murmur a thanks, she had exited the room.

* * *

"So how often do you come here?"  
Staring at the young woman who had mistakenly entered his room, Shinpachi offered a tired smile.  
"This is my first time. But it seems like an interesting place." He responded. The boy had already cleaned up, and was sitting on his bed now. To his surprise, a girl had walked into his room thinking it was her own. Admittedly, he should have locked the door, but he had refrained from doing so in case Kagura or Gintoki needed him. Now this pink haired girl stood before him, clothed in armor and equipped with a bow. Though Shinpachi had been slightly alarmed, she seemed nice. Minutes passed, and they engaged in light conversation, Shinpachi learned that the woman came twice every month, and still had not made many friends. It seemed as though she was just eager to finally talk to somebody who was not a creep, so Shinpachi indulged her. When the atmosphere grew lax, she walked to his bed and sat down beside him. Her name was Ume, and she hinted that it was slightly embarrassing.  
"It's just so old fashioned!" She declared, her pink lips forming a pout.  
A light chuckle escaped Shinpachi, and he tilted his head.  
"Sometimes the older names are the most attractive. Just because it's common doesn't mean it's not pretty." In an attempt to console the girl, Shinpachi offered a positive outlook on the subject; oblivious to the fact that it could be taken the wrong way.

"Really? You really mean it?" Ume fixed her blue eyes on the boy, and he could see nothing but hope. He nodded, offering a reassuring smile.

* * *

"Kagura-Chan, are you hung-" Before Rein could even complete the sentence, Kagura's door was snatched open. The girl aggressively nodded, and took the tray of food from Rein's hands. The eager expression on Kagura's face caused Rein to snicker. Without a word, the girl walked back into her room. Rein leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms. It was obvious that she felt bad about the group not having fun on their first outing, yet Kagura paid attention to nothing but the food in front of her. Glancing at Sadaharu, Rain forced a smile The dog was stretched out of Kagura's bed. Though he excitedly begged her for food, Kagura chose to stare at the TV on the wall. The girl was watching cartoons, and Rein joined her from where she stood for a moment. After a few minutes, the woman decided to give Shinpachi his meal. As the door closed, Kagura called out to Rein.  
"Thank you Eyebrow-Chan!"

Only a few steps were necessary to reach Shinpachi's door. Holding the tray, Rein knocked with her foot.  
"Oi! Are you hungry?"  
When she did not receive an answer, the woman frowned. It was possible that he was out at the moment, but after the day's events it wasn't likely. Muffled voices could be heard, but Rein assumed it was Kagura's TV. The girl had turned the volume up pretty high. Without a second thought, Rein opened the door. What she saw astounded her. Shocked, the woman dropped the tray of food. Unable to keep herself from stuttering, Rein murmured an awkward apology, and slammed the door behind herself.


	35. Cherry Boys

Staring at the wall, Rein tried to make sense of what she had just seen. She was positive that it was not an illusion. It had to be real. Alternatively, she could have been drugged. But then again... Startled, the woman rushed back to her room. The moment she got the door open, she spoke.  
"Gintoki!"

The Yorozura sat up from where he laid in the bed. The alarmed tone of Rein's voice had slightly startled him, and he stared at her expectantly. Nobody moved or spoke for what felt like hours, but was actually seconds. After taking a deep breath, Rein tried to articulate what she had seen. An explanation did not readily form on her tongue, and she wondered if it was even serious enough to tell Gintoki. While she wasn't sure if it would matter, she had to. This wasn't normal.

"I- I went to take Shinpachi a meal..." Pausing, Rein shifted her gaze. Gintoki remained in place, still not understanding what the issue was.  
"He- There was a girl in his room... I assume he's about to... Well, a portion of her armor wasn't on _her_..."  
"Shinpachi?!" Gintoki gasped, and Rein nodded. Now she was sure. This wasn't normal. As soon as Gintoki understood, he jumped to his feet. The man pulled his yukata on, and rushed towards Rein, and the door.  
"Wait! What are you gonna do?" The woman asked. Turning to smirk at Rein over his shoulder Gintoki held up a single condom.  
"Leave it to me." He said, to which Rein shook her head.

"Wait! He's only eighteen! Shouldn't you tell him not to?!"  
"This might be the kid's only hope." Leaving it at that Gintoki started towards Shinpachi's room. Kagura was standing outside of the door, looking horrified.

"What are you doing, brat? Don't be a pervert!"  
Turning to face Gintoki, Kagura shook her head.  
"Gin-Chan... They kept bumping the wall... I- I looked..." Her words hung in the air, and her voice held a distant tone to it.  
"She was rubbing his feet..." The Yato stated, and Gintoki scoffed. Shaking his head, he pushed past her and cracked the door open.

"OI! Patsuan! Take this!" Throwing the condom in the bed's general direction, Gintoki pretended to close the door. The man actually peeked in; eager to see if it was true. Kagura remained in place, shaking her head as if the image would fade. A cute girl with pink hair was rubbing a very nervous Shinpachi's feet; as Kagura had stated. The boy was laying back on his bed, blushing profusely. On the other hand, the girl had the devious expression of a woman with a plan. It wasn't until a hand tugged the fabric of Gintoki's yukata that he pried his eyes from the awkward foot massage.  
"Please refrain from observing the awkwardness that will be Shinpachi's first time... He's like your brother. I know you want to know if he's okay, or if it will work, but give him some privacy..." Rein stood behind Gintoki, gazing down the hallway. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable. Soon Shinpachi noticed Gintoki, rather, the entire group, and yelled for them to leave.

After the door was closed, Kagura stated the she and Sadaharu were going outside. Not a single word was uttered to stop the girl. It was for the best. Gintoki an Rein remained in the hallway. While Gintoki was still obviously surprised, and a proud smirk curled his lips, Rein was concerned. Worry creased her brow, and she leaned onto the wall. Crossing her arms she sighed.  
"We should go back to our room... There is no need to stand out here while he's doing... _that." _Her statement was met with a slight nod. As they started away, Shinpachi screamed.

Rein whipped around to face the door, alarmed. Before she could move towards the room, Gintoki gripped her grey yukata.  
"That's normal. Every man does that when he sees a real one for the first time."  
Crimson clashed with steel as their eyes locked together. Rein forced herself to believe him. She nodded, and allowed him to lead her away.  
"Oi, that yukata makes your eyes stand out..."  
Frowning up at Gintoki, Rein shook her head.  
"Don't even try that right now. We are not doing that while they're doing that." Not even a second after she spoke, Shinpachi screamed again.

"GIN-SAN! COME BACK! COME BACK! HELP ME!"

Now Rein tried to run to the boy's aid, but Gintoki gripped her sleeve.  
"He's just scared. He doesn't know if he wants to do it yet. The kid's gotta graduate from cherry boy one day." In his usual Monotone Gintoki insisted that everything was all right. Rein stared at the door to Shinpachi's room unsure of whether to believe him or not.

"GIN-SAANNN! SHE'S TRYING TO EAT ME!"

"Just lay back and take it like a man, you lucky bastard!" Gintoki called back.  
"This isn't right... Something isn't right Gin!" Turning to face the man, Rein stared up at him. Gintoki frowned down at her, and tried to reassure the woman everything was okay. Snatching her sleeve from his grasp, Rein rushed to the door. Upon entering the room, she found that Shinpachi was right. Sex wasn't done like that.

In the corner stood a terrified Shinpachi. In front of the kid, was some amebous form of blob monster. A cord protruding from its back was attached to the pink haired seductress, who was standing behind the Amanto.

"It's okay Shinpachi, this is my mom. She just wants to see if we're cute together... Come here."  
"NO!" Shinpachi declared staring at the grotesque brown blob before him.  
"Please stop making that face... It's not very appeti- I mean polite." The pink haired girl giggled as she spoke, and Shinpachi shook his head.

"You were gonna say appetizing! I heard you! You were gonna say it!" Gaping at the girl, Shinpachi raised his hand to either side of his head.  
"No I wasn't, come here and kiss me- she just wants to make sure you aren't some weirdo Otaku."  
"Parent's shouldn't ask for that sort of thing! That's wrong!" The boy yelled, to which the girl sighed.  
"We're not from Japan... Our customs are different-"  
"You're not from EARTH!" Shinpachi declared.

Having seen enough of this Rein pulled her sword from her back. She called Gintoki, surprised to find him standing behind her already. The man had apparently gotten his bokken, and handed Rein her second sword. With no clue as to how to approach the enemy, they decided to simply charge. Something was bound to have an effect on the cracked skin of the Amanto.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all. I'm writing this message to tell you all that lately, some things have been happening. (You're probably like "Things? Things always happen, so what? Why didn't you finish the fight scene?") Yeah I'd be like that too. But the purpose of telling you this is to also tell you that these things are not good. Due to stress, I have to take a small break. It could be fora single day to a week, I'm not sure, but I_ NEED_ to get away from everything right now. I apologize if you're disappointed, but hey, we're all only human. So on that note,I'll give you a smiley face:)**


	36. Blob Monsters Smell Funny

**A/N: Hi all! So I'm back :)**  
**Thank you for being so understanding. All of the crazy things have passed (I think) And I actually found myself still writing every day.**  
**So- Here's a new chapter, Hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Though Rein and Gintoki were doing a good job of hitting the oddly shaped blob monster, their strikes seemed to have no effect. Shinpachi had managed to escape the corner, and fled to find Kagura. The pink haired girl attached to the blob idly stood by, watching Rein, and Gintoki as they struck the dry monster. When Gintoki stepped back, the girl laughed.

"You think that can harm me?" She continued to cackle in an unusually eerie way. Before Gintoki could respond, a sward plunged through the girl's chest. A second sliced her from her shoulder to her opposite hip. Her blue eyes stared down at the blade, obviously startled. For the first time, the blob seemed to writhe with pain. At least something worked. Gintoki watched the scene, unable to keep himself from scowling at the sight of murky grey blood, which seemed to pour from the girl's open wounds. A loud shriek of pain, accompanied with surprise filled the room as the girl fell apart and to the floor. With one arm she attempted to drag herself from the room, and Rein started to panic.  
"Shut up! Shut up!" The woman commanded, stepping on the girl's torso. Seeing that the blob-like creature was approaching Rein, Gintoki lunged towards it. He brought his bokken down on the Amanto with unmatched force. Rein took to stabbing the girl in every possible way; trying to keep her from screaming. If they got caught fighting, it was possible that Dai would kick them out. And that was not what she wanted to happen. Not before Gintoki's birthday at least.

With Gintoki still accosting the beast, which didn't seem to have any way to fight back, Rein snatched a pillow from Shinpachi's bed, and started to smother the remaining bits of the pink haired girl. Though the girl was significantly disassembled, she continued to scream; not a good sign.  
"It's not working!" Gintoki growled, and Rein nodded.  
"I can see that..." The words were muttered in an irritated tone. Sighing loudly, Rein started to stomp on the girl. Something would have to give. Soon the bits of the girl turned into some form of sludge and the yelling subsided. A loud snap filled the air, and she turned to gaze at Gintoki. The man had successfully cracked the thick skin of the monster.  
"Oi... Stick one of your swords in there. Looks like vulnerable skin..." As soon as the words escaped him, Gintoki started to snicker.  
Rolling her eyes at the obvious joke, Rein agreed, and moved to the monster's side. As she started to push her sword into the broken skin, something shot towards her. The woman yelped in surprise as slimy, warm skin grabbed her head.  
Wide eyed, Gintoki froze in place. He had no clue what the hell that was, but it definitely wasn't good. Rein was pulled against the monster, and her swords dropped. The woman tried to push herself away from the thing, and soon Gintoki was pulling her back as well. But the monster had her in a death grip. To Gintoki's surprise, Rein stopped moving. She was busy staring at the two red eyes inside of the monster. The skin around her seemed to be speaking, yet only she could hear it.

"You'll do well..."

"Eyebrow-Chan!"  
Turning to the door, Gintoki found Kagura and Shinpachi rushing into the room. Sadaharu was behind them as well, and together, the group started to pull Rein away. It wasn't until Kagura used her superior strength, that the woman was freed. Unconscious, Rein fell back against Kagura limply.  
"Patsuan! How the hell did this thing get in here?!" Swinging his bokken at the Amanto, Gintoki took care to avoid the exposed core which was now trying to grab him.  
"I don't know! It was in my closet!" Shinpachi yelled back, picking up one of Rein's swords.  
Moving away from Rein, Kagura rushed back to the monster as well. Nobody noticed the new cord attached to Rein's calve. With a single punch, Kagura cracked the blob's dry skin. Shinpachi managed to stab its core, as well as Gintoki.

Gas started to pour from inside of the beast. It was an unnaturally pink color, and panic surrounded the group.  
"What the hell is that?!" Instead of freezing, Gintoki started to repetitively stab the thing. Shinpachi jumped back, trying to follow example.  
"I don't know! It's probably noxious!"  
"Is noxious another word for nasty? Cause that stuff smells bad, Aru" Kicking the monster, Kagura pinched her nose.  
"Patsuan! Is there a window in here?" Gintoki asked. He received a "Yeah!" in response, and Shinpachi dropped Rein's sword. The boy moved to a panel in the wall, and pulled it away. He started to focus on trying to open the pane. Sadaharu walked to the monster and raised his leg. Soon a golden stream washed over it, and to everybody's surprise the monster seemed to shake and writhe with pain. A low hissing sound filled the air, catching the attention of all within the room.

Everybody was focusing on the Amanto. Silent footsteps approached the group, and it wasn't until a sword was thrust towards Gintoki that they realized the new threat. Of course, Gintoki avoided being stabbed. Shock consumed him, and the kids, as a now pink haired Rein scowled at the man. She held a sword in one hand and did not hesitate to strike again.  
"Shit!" Gintoki gasped, blocking the oncoming barrage of lethal attacks.  
"EYEBROW-SAN!" Kagura exclaimed, starting to restrain her newly pink headed friend.  
"No- No- focus on the oversized pimple! It's not like this is the first time she's attacked me, I've got her!" Gintoki commanded, pushing Rein back.

Not fully wanting to listen, Kagura obliged. Using her umbrella, she fired into the monster's core. Rein froze in place, and shrieked in pain. To Gintoki's surprise, the woman turned to Kagura, and attempted to slice the girl in two. Blocking her blade, Gintoki shoved Rein out of the way with his shoulder. When she fell, he pinned her down, and pried her sword away.  
Shinpachi managed to work the large window open, and Kagura started to shove the monster towards it. When Rein was dragged along with it, Gintoki noticed the cord. Using her blade, he severed the link, and Rein howled in pain. Shinpachi, moved out of the way as Kagura hoisted the monster over her head, and carried it to the window. A face, with alarmingly large teeth started to gnash towards Shinpachi, and the boy fell back, crying out in surprise. The window was just a touch too small to push the Amanto through, but Kagura did not hesitate to break the wall. She shoved the thing through it, and once it was outside, she jumped onto the roof; following it.  
Rein had broken into a cold sweat under Gintoki. The man had held her in place as she writhed with pain. Shinpachi ran to the window, staring at Kagura. The girl ran to the monster, and kicked it into the river. It shot through the air, resembling a soccer ball; but it didn't float. Instead, the monster sank straight to the bottom of the current, and was carried away. Shinpachi sighed in relief as the room started to air out. The pink gas was quickly pouring out of the window. Soon Kagura was walking back into the lodge. Rein was staring at the ceiling past Gintoki, panting. Slowly, her pink hair started to fade back to its original near black shade.

He frowned down at her, wondering if she was back to normal. When the woman sighed and murmured the word "Shit" he knew she was alright. He got up, and allowed her to sit up as well.  
"Damn it, glasses. Next time you try to sheath your sword, don't do it with a crazy alien bitch." Sighing the words, Gintoki helped the exhausted Rein up. Shinpachi shifted his gaze, trying to think of a defense.  
"I didn't know she was an Amanto!" He stated, an Gintoki shook his head.  
"Any girl that tries to sleep with you, and rubs your feet is an Amanto! Besides, how the hell did you _not _notice the six meter cord leading to your closet?!"  
Seeing that he would get no response, Gintoki crossed his arms.  
"Shinpachi... I think you need to find a prostitute- You have horrible taste in women. But your girlfriend is on the floor, you can finish now." Motioning to the brownish grey bits of sludge on the wooden floor, Rein started away.

"What am I supposed to do with that?!" Shinpachi yelled, and Gintoki turned to smirk at him over his shoulder.  
"Use this." The man tossed Shinpachi a second condom, and together, him and Sadaharu left the room.


	37. Flogram

By the time Gintoki returned to his room he found Rein sitting in the bathtub. She was staring out of the blurred glass of the window, looking rightfully disturbed.  
"You okay?" The man asked, to which she offered a slight nod. Before the conversation could progress, Rein slowly slipped down the stone tub; fully submerging herself in the water.

Relieved to have her back to normal, Gintoki walked to the bed and plopped down.  
Moment passed before Rein surfaced again, and she started to speak in a low tone.  
"You know... I feel dirty... That skin was really weird... But- I saw that thing's whole life. She just wanted to eat flogram again..."

"Flogram?" Gintoki asked, sitting up to stare at the woman as if she was crazy. Maybe she was.  
"Yeah... Her mother never let her eat it like the other kids... She ran away to earth, so she could eat all the flogram she could stand. But they didn't make it here. She was so young, and just depressed..."  
Rein locked her eyes to the clear water around her body, unsure if she should feel bad for the monster or not. The few minutes that she was connected with it had revealed things she had never even thought possible. Things that she could never understand about family, and a new culture. Before she could even sigh, a hand was on her shoulder. Peering behind herself, she locked her eyes to Gintoki. The man gazed down at her, donning a soft expression.  
"She'll have all the flogram she can eat where she's going."

His words earned a hopeful nod from Rein, and the woman leaned back against the stone tub. After agreeing, she mentioned training. In addition, Rein instructed Gintoki to never speak of the fight again. Rules were explained, the main focus being the "no fighting" policy, and soon Rein was crawling in bed beside Gintoki.  
"You wanna go on a hike tomorrow?"  
"NO." Firmly refusing, Gintoki shook his head. A loud snicker filled the room, and Rein turned to face him. She crawled over the Yorozura, and laid her head on his chest.  
"What about canoeing? I'm sure that would be fun."  
Not wanting to reveal the ill fate that the boat had met, Gintoki tried to find an excuse.  
"No, uh, Kagura is scared of that kinda thing..."

Rein peered up at him, and he quickly hid his nervousness. After a short moment, she nodded, and laid back down. Thankful that he had successfully dodged her offers, Gintoki relaxed. He pushed Rein's hair over her shoulder, and rested a hand on her head.

* * *

Noon had arrived by the time Gintoki awoke. Rein was gone, and he peered around the room for a second before getting up. After getting dressed, the man exited the room to find his makeshift family. Kagura and Shinpachi were not in their rooms when he checked, so the man made his way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Not to his surprise the two teens were eating breakfast, or lunch.  
"Oi." Groggily greeting the pair, Gintoki walked past the counter they were sitting at. Leftovers were sitting in the refrigerator with a small note that read "Gin" so he grabbed the small plate. It was still warm, so the man joined the kids without having to heat the food.

"Gin-Chan, what do you want to do today?" The words were barely comprehensible, as Kagura was busy shoving food in her mouth. Shinpachi glanced at her, slightly frowning.  
"That's not polite, Kagura-Chan. You shouldn't speak with your mouth full."  
The girl glanced at him, indifferent towards his nagging.  
"I'm not sure, doesn't really matter. No boats or aliens though." Gintoki responded with an equally full mouth.  
Shinpachi frowned at the man, who was staring down at him blankly. Sighing, the boy shook his head. It was impossible to reason with them.

When the group had finished eating, Gintoki and Shinpachi pried Kagura away from the kitchen. As they wandered around the lodge, a familiar sound graced their ears. A battle could be heard in the distance. After exchanging curious glances, they followed the sound. Led to the back of the building, they found a moderately sized training yard. It was fenced off, and small groups of people were crowded around. In the middle stood Rein, and Dai; sparring. She had abandoned her swords for bokkens, and seemed to be getting the better of the man. Using both swords to form a T she blocked a vertical strike, and shoved the man back. Some of the women and men in the crowd were cheering her nickname. Almost as quickly as she had blocked, the woman was attacking. A horizontal swipe, was quickly followed by a stab. Apparently she was accustomed to wielding two swords now.

Gintoki leaned onto the fence around the area, to watch the show; secretly enjoying the fact that Rein was kicking Dai's ass. Kagura and Shinpachi did the same, paying the most attention, as; they had never truly seen Rein fight before. Of course, they saw Rein try to kill Gintoki. But some weird Amanto was controlling her, so that did not count. To their surprise, the woman seemed skilled. Her attacks were carefully calculated; her blades, wooden or not, were definitely lethal. A second man decided to join in, and the moment he approached, Rein swung a bokken behind herself. The man stumbled back, and she knocked Dai away with one precise hit to his shin. Whipping around Rein brought the second man to his knees by hooking her bokken around his ankle.

Sighing, Gintoki turned away. This looked fun, and he wanted to join in. It seemed that Rein had not noticed him yet. Once inside the lodge, he walked straight to his room and grabbed his bokken. A devious smirk curled his lips as he made his way back down the stairs and to the door of the training yard.

Once outside again, he found Rein on the ground. She hit a third man in the back of his knees with her bokken, and quickly jumped to her feet. When an interval arrived, and everybody exchanged some sort of respectful words Gintoki entered the fence.

"You seem to be smiling more." Dai offered, to which Rein scowled.  
"I assure you that I do no such thing." Lips parted to take a drag of a cigarette. Rein held her second bokken as if it was a ski stick, to take a smoke break. When Dai's eyes settled on a figure behind her, Rein turned to peer at the new challenger. Gintoki was standing with his bokken resting across his shoulders. The man looked as if he had something planned, but managed to hold his usual deadpan expression.

Dropping her cigarette, Rein turned to face the man.  
"You're really going to fight your girlfriend? Only a Yato has beaten her thus far."  
Peering at Dai over her shoulder Rein narrowed her eyes.  
"Let's _not_ talk about that." Shaking her head, she turned back to Gintoki.  
"You think you can beat me, poodle perm?"  
The man raised his eyebrow to her words, and started towards her. Only stopping when there was no space between them, Gintoki started down at Rein with a faux threatening expression.  
"Did you just call me a poodle?"  
Gazing up at the man blankly, Rein offered a slight, challenging nod.  
"Well, let's see if that eyebrow of yours can beat me." He smirked.

Rein frowned at the mention of her eyebrow, but when Gintoki quickly pecked the area in question she snickered. The two slowly backed away, "glaring" at one another. Around them, the crowd had fallen silent; waiting to see the outcome of the fight.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews, they make me happy :) I'm glad to be back! I don't think I could have stayed away, even if I wanted to...**  
**Apparently during my break, I couldn't stop thinking about Fanfiction. I think I'm addicted :p**  
**At least it's not unhealthy! I will disappear in my awkwardness now... **  
***Poof***


	38. According to Plan

Tension filled the air as Gintoki and Rein stared at each other. The crowd had fallen silent around them, intrigued by Gintoki. Since he was a newcomer, his skill was unknown. A moment passed and neither of the two moved, just held their bokkens towards one another.  
"Come on, poodle boy." Rein teased, smirking.  
The Yorozura smirked back, and shook his head.  
"I know you better than that. You make the first move. I'll make you regret that new nickname..."

Scowling, Rein shifted her gaze, only to slowly lock her eyes back to Gintoki. With the chance of finally besting him, she could not slip up. Without warning, she stepped forward and made her move; diagonally swinging her blades. Knowing that the X formation was a trap to get him to focus on a single bokken, Gintoki stepped back, only to retaliate with a vertical swipe. Following through her attack, Rein gracefully rotated both swords around to block his attack. Through sheer force, she managed to shove his sword to the ground. Once his bokken met the stone, she raised one of hers to strike his chest. Gintoki evaded the attack, and pulled away. The crowd started to cheer, and to Gintoki's surprise, a small group seemed to be chanting "Shiroyasha". He thought that nickname was one of the lesser known, but not among warriors, apparently.

When she took another swing at him, he smacked her weapons to the side, and jabbed towards her. Jumping back, Rein repositioned her swords; one defensively and the other pointed towards the Yorozura. He took another swipe, this time towards her feet, and Rein leaped into the air, horizontally swinging at the man's neck. He ducked, and managed to evade her second blade by side stepping the attack. Once he was straightened he thrust his bokken towards her torso, and she caught his weapon between her own. The woman held the training blade with one of her own on either side, and Gintoki leaned towards her. A power struggle soon ensued; Gintoki trying to force his sword towards Rein, and her holding him at bay. They leaned towards one another, slowly inching to the "enemy's" lips. Only a breath away, the pair shoved the other back, and the fight continued.

Ducking behind Rein, Gintoki groped her arse. She froze, and tensed for a second, before twirling around with an attack. People started to laugh, and Kagura could be heard saying "Eww, that pervert is touching Eyebrow-Chan!"

"You know they always do that, right, Kagura-Chan?" Shinpachi gazed down at the girl, and she wrinkled her nose.  
"But he's so old!"

Blocking Rein's blades, Gintoki managed to move behind the woman again. When she felt a large hand squeezing her chest, she scowled.  
"It's supposed to be a _fight_, stupid!" The woman declared, attempting to elbow the pervert. He ducked under her arm; a wide grin curling his lips. Rein tried to hit him again, but of course, Gintoki was more skilled. He evaded her bokkens, at times with ease, yet mostly she seemed to be getting frustrated. Opting to end this quickly, the man tapped one of her wrist; only hard enough to make her drop a bokken. When she did, he pushed her back, forcing the woman on the defensive. With a vertical strike, he had her where he wanted. She blocked his, as expected, and the test of strength began. Once again, fighting for dominance, the two pushed towards one another. Stepping towards Rein, Gintoki made sure to keep enough pressure to keep her at bay as he worked towards his goal. As he attained a distance of mere centimeters, he captured her lips; earning gasps from the cheering on lookers. Rein seemed surprised, yet readily returned the gesture. This had been his plan all along.

The force of their bokkens slowly faded, and soon the wood was hitting the stone tile. Lacing a hand through Rein's hair, Gintoki increased the force of their kiss. Silence had once again surrounded the training ground, and Gintoki glanced at Dai. The man had shifted his gaze, and was staring at the forest. Haha. Gintoki was victorious. Property claimed; taxes filed. Pulling away from the woman, Gintoki reached into the folds of her yukata. She froze and stared at the man wide eyed. Internally cheering in victory, the man snickered at the gasps of disbelief. He pulled a dagger from Rein's thigh holster; which she never left behind. Grinning, he eyed her and walked away; waving it over his shoulder. A clear invitation. One he was positive she could never refuse.

Rein gazed at the shocked crowd, embarrassed. Biting down on her lip, she glanced at Gintoki. He was already at the sliding glass door, entering the building. Her face flushed, and the woman turned away. She picked up his Lake Tahoe bokken, and returned her attention to the crowd. Multiple people were watching her; waiting for her reaction. Though she did not want to seem as though she lacked self control, it was impossible to ignore such a gesture. Especially after a heated battle. Dai was watching her, as well as Shinpachi. Kagura seemed to have walked away. Choosing to act as though she didn't see the group Rein briskly walked back towards the lodge. The woman muttered an awkward "I uh... I need my dagger..." and passed the crowd. People started whistling, and cheering in a way that only succeeded in making her more uncomfortable. The loudest voice was that of a woman yelling "Wooo you better please that sexy thing!" and "Give him something to remember!".

Needless to say, she was uncomfortable. But that was exactly what she would do. The woman rushed to the stair, and to the room. It became apparent that Gintoki planned this, but at the moment that was nothing to concern herself with.

* * *

**A/N: Hi all :)**  
**I'm posting early, as it's my birthday today. (Yaay) Don't know what I'll do, but I wanted to update before the day starts.  
Its a short chapter, becaus it's late, and drunken inspiration only works in spurts :D  
So, hope you enjoyed!**


	39. (Not So) Quickies

Upon reaching the room, Rein found Gintoki leaning against the trunk of willow tree protruding from the floor. He was still holding the dagger, and smirking to himself. Eying him, the woman tightened her grip on his bokken. She walked to his side, and extended the training sword towards the man.  
"Here, you left this."  
Still smirking he accepted the bokken, and leaned it against the tree. When Rein tried to take her dagger, he held it over her head. Scowling, she gazed at him.  
"Really? You know I can't reach that high."  
"That's the point." He snickered. Crossing her arms, Rein shifted her gaze.  
"I just came to give your bokken back. That's all..." Obviously lying, she tried to play it off. It was a bad idea to let him know that he could influence her so easily. Especially at any time he chose. Shaking his head, Gintoki allowed his expression to fall blank.  
"Oh really?" The man asked. Briskly nodding, Rein refused to look at him. To her surprise, he offered the dagger back. After a short moment of hesitation she took it.  
"Well, I'm gonna go watch TV with Patsuan." Gintoki stated, starting past the woman.

Frowning, Rein turned to face him. As expected, she grabbed his yukata and snatched the man back around. Without warning, the woman crashed her lips to his. Wrapping his hands in her yukata Gintoki pulled her against himself; eagerly returning her kiss. When she tugged his yukata off his shoulder, he pulled back.  
"Alright, see you later." The man stated in a monotone  
Frowning in confusion, Rein stopped him from leaving once more. She tossed the dagger to some unknown location in the room, she gripped Gintoki's shirt.  
"Oi! Don't try to ignore me!"  
When a grin curled his lips, she knew she was paying into his hands. Vowing not to be swayed so easily, she released him.  
"Fine, you can go. I'll go back to the training yard."

Gintoki nodded and started towards the door. It wasn't until Rein spoke again that he felt she had stolen the power of the moment.  
"If you want to miss out on _this_, that is..."  
Peering over his shoulder, the man found that her yukata had mysteriously opened itself. Her shoes had somehow disappeared and her panties had managed to kick themselves off. While it was unknown how the hell she had lost so many items of clothing in a matter of seconds, Gintoki didn't really feel like looking for an explanation.

Rein's breathing increased as Gintoki stared hungrily at her half-naked form. He stared at her, slightly startled as she walked to his side.  
"But it's okay if you want to go. I'll just be here, doing things like this." She snickered, and the man shifted his gaze. Damn it. He had definitely lost the power. Not wasting a single second to think, the man quickly grabbed her yukata and pulled her to his lips. A light moan escaped Rein as he started to walk her backwards towards the bed. In their haste, they managed to trip. From where they laid on the hardwood, the bed seemed miles away; plus, they would have to stand up to reach the mattress. Neither wanted to wait that long, to the continued to pull the other closer. Their tongues met; dancing together. Breaking the kiss off, the Yorozura crawled down Rein's body, offering an occasional kiss.

Gintoki lifted one of her legs up to his mouth and kissed a trail down her inner thigh. The man ran his tongue over her skin, and blew a cold stream of air, enticing a low moan from within the woman. Lacing a hand through his hair, Rein squirmed. The man's lips left a path of burning pleasure in their wake as he moved closer to her core.

"Gin, please,"  
The words only proved that he was successfully teasing her. Had managed to take control of the situation once more.

Crying out, the woman attempted to muffle her voice with one hand when she felt his tongue against her. It was unknown whether people were residing in the rooms around them, and while the walls seemed solid, she would rather not have somebody knocking at the door for them to quiet down. He held her in place with his hands on her hips, pinning her to the hardwood and managing to control her constant squirming.

The man moved to the neglected thigh, and left a small trail of kisses, occasionally flicking his tongue over her skin. He couldn't get enough of her, but it was more fun to tease, and make her wait, despite the fact that _he_ was also waiting. He could tell she was nearing completion, and with the nip of his teeth against her bud of nerves, he had her calling out his name in climactic urgency. Music to his ears. However, Rein hated being forced to be patient. Gintoki had a bad habit of occasionally drawing foreplay out until it was unbearable. The hand in his hair tightened, and Rein started to pull him up to herself. The Yorozura swiftly tugged his pants down and freed himself from the cloth prison, glaring at her.  
"Don't pull the hair." He commanded.  
Snickering, Rein stared up at him.  
With one swift motion, Gintoki sheathed himself inside of her; earning a gasp of excited pleasure.

Leaning over her, he kissed the woman slowly, knowing that she could taste herself on his lips. She urged him to move by bucking up her hips against him, but he tortured her at first, making her moan and scowl at him for moving too slowly. Payback. Gripping his shirt, Rein swapped positions with him. The woman worked into her own satisfactory pace, enjoying the rewarding groans she earned from Gintoki. As she moved against him, she snatched his black shirt open, and trailed her fingers down the man's solid muscles. Gintoki leaned up, and slid his hands around the woman's back; managing to unravel the wrap around her chest. Pulling the fabric from under the woman's yukata, he brought his lips to her chest. Rein steadied herself by gripping his shoulders, and moaned as his lips traveled across her sensitive skin once more.

With a single thrust, Gintoki felt himself nearing his end. Burying a hand in Rein's hair he quickly moved her back to the floor and assumed dominance. Though she lightly protested, he ignored her groan, and slowed his motions. But the nails scaling down his arm and back urged him to pick up his pace. Knowing that if he did, he would not last much longer, Gintoki tried to think logically and push past the intoxication, which clouded his mind. After a moment of calming himself down, he obliged to her whim and upped his tempo, pounding into her with a force he didn't know he could muster at that point. In response, Rein's back arched towards him. The thought that they were still half-dressed crossed him, but faded as the woman pulled him to her lips. They met with unmatched passion, and the two hungrily kissed as if it might be their last. Soon Rein broke the contact, to release a loud moan. She tightened around him, finally reaching her peak. The intense heat and contraction of her walls was almost too much to bear. Knowing his job was complete Gintoki allowed himself to entirely ravish the woman, who appeared to have grown exhausted. She gripped his shirt, as he pulled her up, and trailed his lips down her neck.

Soft mews escaped her, lulling him to his end. With one final thrust, Gintoki released inside of the woman, tightening his teeth on her skin. A breathless groan echoed from inside of him, and he firmly held Rein in place, until his muscles untensed.

Sighing, he slowly eased her back onto the hardwood, allowing himself to move beside her to the colder area. They sat panting for air, sweat clinging to their bodies and causing the remaining fabric around them to cling to their skin. A moment passed and they gazed at each other. Rein was the first to speak.  
"Okay, TV?"  
Gintoki nodded.  
"Training?" He asked, and Rein mirrored the man's motions. Soon, the two were getting dressed and parting ways.

* * *

**A/N: Ahem... Soo... Citrus. Yep. I didn't like the last lemon, so I had to make another. :D On another note- I've noticed that most of my fict focus on men with white hair. (What is it about them that makes them so hot?) The world may never know the answer to that question. But I thought I'd just throw that out there. That and most of my OC names have something to do with water. They all mean Rain. Except for one of them. Lol. Ok. I'm random. It's late. Hope you enjoyed!**


	40. Pampering

Earlier in the day, annoyance had crossed Gintoki. It started with a light conversation over breakfast. The members of the Yorozura, and Rein had gathered in the kitchen, all groggily shoving rice and eggs into their mouths. Kagura had attempted to eat some of everybody else's food, and when they refused, the girl had pouted.  
"Hmph... This place sucks..." Kagura declared, obviously not meaning the lodge itself, but the fact that everybody wanted to keep their food. Blankly glancing at the Yato, Gintoki sighed.  
"Well at least tomorrow is going to be fun." He offered, raising a bit of food to his lips.  
That's where everything went downhill. Confused frowns had taken the group around him and they stared at the man.  
"What?" Kagura asked.  
"How would you know that? You a psychic or something?" Rein muttered, returning her gaze to the rice in her bowl. Surprise rippled through Gintoki and he allowed a frown to crease his brow as well. A moment of silence passed, and Shinpachi spoke.  
"Well? What's going to make tomorrow fun, Gin-San?"

The boys question was the last straw. Retreating within himself Gintoki shook his head.  
"Never mind." An indifferent tone crept into the man's voice, an a shadow fell over his eyes. Though he would never admit it, he was genuinely hurt. Everybody had forgotten his birthday. Needless to say, he wouldn't be the one to tell them. It wasn't that important... Right? His friends all peered at each other, seeming to ask if anybody knew why he was so upset. Without a word, Gintoki stopped eating. Ignoring the curious stares he was receiving, he stood up and started away; leaving a half-empty bowl in his wake.

* * *

The moment the man was out of earshot, Rein and the kids grinned at one another. Snickering fell over the group, and the corner or Rein's lips tugged up.  
"Good job, you two. He believed us. Now, let's set everything up tonight. If you start in the middle of the day, I'll keep him occupied."

Kagura's eyes narrowed at Rein, and she grinned  
"With dirty things?" The girl asked, her expression growing goofy. Shinpachi seemed to be stifling laughter as well, an Rein's eyes widened.  
"NO!" She defended, standing up. Sighing the woman left the two to prepare for Gintoki's birthday.

* * *

Once Rein entered her shared room, she discovered that Gintoki was nowhere to be found. The woman left, and checked the entire lodge. Not a single sign of the man was anywhere, and the woman found herself returning to the room.  
"Gin?"

_"What?" _An annoyed voice rang out from an unknown location of the room. Rein's eyes wandered over every inch of the wooden paneling. She searched each corner and concealed location, trying to find the source of the voice.  
"What do you want?" The man croaked, and Rein frowned in confusion. He was sitting in the tree. Gintoki had climbed as far up as he could possibly go in the willow tree, only stopping when the ceiling blocked his path.

"Erm... Come down here, let's do something." Rain coaxed. When the man groaned a "No" in response, she sighed. This needed careful handling, or it was obvious that Gintoki would remain in the tree, engulfed with a black aura of muffled despair. Sighing Rein pulled an bag from the closet. If nothing else would get the man down, this would. She slipped into the bathroom to change.

Gintoki watched, only half interested. In the bathroom, Rein found that Okita had done something horrible. All of the cute lingerie costumes Rein had picked were locked away in a box that required a six digit code. A note was stuck to the tiny metal safe that said, "If you want access to your other outfits, you need to wear the one I left out. I will know if you try to lie to me- just do it". Scowling at the expressionless face Okita had drawn Rein shook her head. She should have expected this much. And if she didn't do it, the outfit she planned to wear for the "idiot with the poodle perm" on his birthday night would never see the light of day again. Great. When Rein found the only thing Okita had left for her to wear, she was not happy. Not. At. All.

"What the hell is _that_?! Is _that_ supposed to make me want to come down?!" Gintoki gaped in horror at the leather dominatrix suit Rein exited the bathroom in. She held a whip in both hands and stared at the wooden paneling beneath her feet.

"Shut up." She growled, not wanting to look at Gintoki. A small black eye mask concealed her blush, but it wasn't enough.  
"Damn it, Gin, get down here." The woman commanded.

Now that Gintoki thought about it, that was the most fitting costume for Rein. And she seemed to be in character already as well, with the authoritative tone, commands and whatnot. When the Yorozura didn't listen to her, Rein's patience died. She started up the tree, to Gintoki's horror. A crazed dominatrix climbing towards him with two whips was not something he wanted to see at the moment. Unless that bitch had some birthday cake. Then it would be all right. But she didn't, and he could run no farther. Wide eyed, the man pulled his legs onto the branch he rested on, trying to discourage Rein. The scowl on her face said more then he needed to hear. Impending doom was slowly approaching.

"Damn it! You're gonna regret making me climb up here in all this fucking leather!" Rein sneered, and Gintoki's jaw dropped. He couldn't do anything about it now. It was too late.  
"OI! I didn't make you do anything! You're the one who went all random gorilla women on me!" He defended, searching for another tree limb to move to. Rein was only a foot away. Just as Gintoki started to jump to another location; she snagged the back to his shirt and pulled him back. The man waited to be pushed to his death, or for Rein to extract her revenge, and whip him for a change (Demanding to be called master- Good times, good times.)

Instead, the woman sat beside him and sighed. She acted as though she would strike him with the whip, and snickered at his startled expression. After dropping her whips she shrugged.  
"You make funny expressions." The woman blankly noted. Gintoki's face fell blank as well, and he stared at her. Unzipping the full leather bodysuit, Rein sighed.  
"I didn't pick this out. Don't say a word... But lets do something, how about a massage? I can set one up for you." Rein offered, pulling the black mask from over her eyes. She didn't know if Okita would really know if she hadn't worn the outfit or not, so she chose not to take the chance. Later in the evening, she would call Hijikata and ask to speak with Sougo.

"A massage?" Gintoki asked and Rein nodded.

* * *

Half an hour later Gintoki sat in a sauna. He had accepted Rein's offer and was unwinding beforehand. When he felt sufficiently steamed, the man moved to another room when a young female was waiting for him. She turned around as he laid face down on the massage table, and adjusted his towel over his lower half.  
"Are you ready?" The woman asked, and Gintoki told her he was. As she turned around, she reached for a bottle of oil, only to find she was almost out.  
"One second..." She murmured. Gintoki remained in place as the woman left the room. An odd sound caught his attention, something like a yelp of surprise, but he paid it no mind.

* * *

**Outside of the room...**

"Oi... You had better do a good job. And don't even think about trying to get fresh- I know how you women work... I've been watching Life Thyme movies lately, I've seen your game. Do NOT progress any lower than his waist, and no higher than the upper half of his thighs... GOT IT?"  
Staring at the blade in her face, the masseuse feverishly nodded. She had no idea who the dark haired woman in leather was, or why she was being glared down with such hate, but she didn't want to find out if that sword was real.  
"Good." The woman calmly murmured, and soon she was leaving the room.

* * *

The massage was amazing. In no less then an hour, Gintoki felt himself nodding off to sleep. Opting not to fight it, he allowed himself to slip away. He could feel a line a drool escaping his lips, but didn't care. The only thing he found strange was that the woman didn't massage certain areas. His lower back or thighs to be exact. But he still felt wonderful, so the man refrained form questioning her techniques.

It wasn't until she got too rough with him that his eyes once again opened. The woman had stopped for a moment, to get more oil, and when she continued it felt as though her hands were made of steel.  
"Oi, not so rough." Gintoki commanded, trying to relax again. The hands didn't' listen. The woman continued to violently rub his back. Cringing at the contact, Gintoki pushed himself up with his hands.  
"I said-"

"I heard you..." An alarmingly deep voice answered him, followed by a low snicker. Gintoki slowly turned to assess the situation. Something was wrong. In all honesty, he hoped the woman had left to take steroids, and they had just kicked in or something, but he knew he would not be so lucky. Behind him, stood a broad shouldered warrior-type man. Dai was smirking with evil intent. Gintoki suddenly wished he was less naked at the moment, his towel would do no good in protecting him from whatever form of ill will was being tossed his way. Dai forced Gintoki back down on the massage table, still snickering.  
"You've still got another hour, Gin-San. Don't waste Rein's money..."  
Wide-eyed Gintoki stared at the plain white wall in front of him.  
"She's not paying for this to happen! You're not supposed to violate me!" Gintoki retorted. Dai walked over to a small table, and grabbed a bottle of oil.

Leaning up Gintoki studied the man, unable to suppress the panic that had stirred within him. Dai was pouring a generous amount of oil in his hands- Not a good sign. Jumping to his feet Gintoki dashed towards the door, not caring about his towel, or nakedness. A large, slippery hand grasped the man, and despite the slick oil, Dai managed to usher Gintoki back towards the table.  
"You have to hold still, kid." Dai snickered as Gintoki continued to claw away from him.  
"KID!? What the hell kind of service is this?!" The Yorozura demanded.

"It's the Warrior special." Dai grinned, and as Gintoki failed to reach the door, he felt the rough hands from before grasp his shoulders.  
"NOOOOOO!"


	41. Preparations

In a training room on the lower level of the lodge, Kagura and Shinpachi worked to arrange some decorations for Gintoki's birthday. Together they folded paper lanterns, hung blue and white banners, and blew up balloons. The two hardly spoke, as they were both busy doing their own thing. Each set to one half of the room, and met in the middle. It wasn't until Shinpachi turned around that he grew slightly confused.  
"Kagura-Chan... I thought you were going to copy my side of the room..."  
The Yato girl turned to face Shinpachi, and studied the clean lines of his womanly organization skills.  
"No, that's boring- Aru. You should do this." Crumpling up a line of the paper banner, Kagura pinned one end of it to the ceiling. Frowning, Shinpachi watched as other end of the paper fell to the ground. It just kind of hung there. Nothing else happened. Kagura was just pinning an end to the ceiling after she crumpled it, and letting it hang on the ground. Shaking his head, Shinpachi motioned to his neatly hung banners.  
"It's supposed to look like this." He informed, and Kagura rolled her eyes.  
"That's boring. People expect it to look like that, it has to be special, 'cause this is a special day, right?"

Shifting his gaze Shinpachi tried to find a good rebuttal.  
"Well, yes, it is special. But it's supposed to look nice..."  
"It looks nice." Kagura insisted, motioning to the rumpled banner.

Before the boy could respond, the door opened. Rein walked in, and paused in the door way.  
"Ehh... What's going on in here..?"  
The woman was scowling and shifting her gaze between the two sides of the room.

"Eyebrow-Chan! Glasses is being mean to me. Aru" Kagura pouted, and Rein narrowed her eyes at Shinpachi. When the boy didn't respond she continued to stare at him. Shaking her head, Rein walked to one of the banners hanging on the ground.  
"Erm... Kagura-Chan... Why is it looking like this?"  
"Because everybody expects it to look like Shinpachi's. You want it to be special, right? Unique? Aru"  
Frowning, Rein nodded.  
"Well, nobody thinks it'll be like this- it's one of those things that make people go 'Wow'!" The Yato reasoned, and Rein shifted her gaze. After a moment, the woman nodded again.  
"Shinpachi! Why can't you be more creative like this?" The woman demanded. Shaking his head Shinpachi sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

When the decorations were mostly finished, the three moved to the kitchen. Together, they started mixing cake batter, and planning the food they would serve. Since it was just the three of them, the people of the lodge would also join the group to make Gintoki feel important. Rein had also arranged for some choice people to show up as well.  
"I wonder where Dai is? He was supposed to help us..." Rein sighed. As Shinpachi moved the cake to the oven, the woman left the room. Kagura was busy licking the batter bowl, disregarding Shinpachi's warning of salmonella.

Walking towards the spa area of the lodge, Rein pulled the door open. The moment she could see into the room, she found a naked Gintoki desperately running straight towards her. Wide eyed the woman froze in place. Her jaw dropped at the look of terror that Gintoki had donned. He was seemingly oblivious to his limp jiggling glory, which swayed with his every step.  
"MOVE!" The man yelled and Rein stepped aside as he ran straight past her. Without another word, Gintoki rounded the corner and dashed up the stairs. Frowning in confusion, Rein peered back towards the man. She gazed at the massage room, and started into it. Crossing her arms, Rein expected to see the young woman she had previously warned not to touch Gintoki. Instead, she found Dai knocked out on the hardwood floor. Confusion rippled through her, and she did not know what to do. So, she took the blanket off of the massage table and wrapped it around Dai. He did not look any better when she was finished, so the woman folded Gintoki's old towel into a pillow, and put it under his head. Staring down at Dai, Rein tried to think of something else. She grabbed a half-empty bottle of water and placed it by his head. Before leaving, she took a piece of cardboard and snickered.

Using a permanent black marker, she scribbled a word down, and propped the sign against his face. The woman took a step back, and admired her work. Perfect. If that didn't cheer him up nothing would. He was tucked in, and had his head on a "pillow" (Which still smelled of Gintoki's balls). He had water, and a humor to awaken to. Turning the light off, Rein closed the door behind herself. Even Dai would have to appreciate the large sign which read "Homeless".

* * *

**A/N: Hello my little sparkly muffin kittens! (Like that one? Weird enough for you?)**  
**I am back online! YAY! My internet company thought that I would appreciate the fact that they mistakenly assumed I was moving.. Haha. Jokes on them, I'm not. SOOOO**  
**Here is a delayed chapter with a bit of random fluff. Yeah. This chapter was written in a whispering tone. Imagine sitting in some creepy woods in the middle of the night around a camp fire. Yeah, that's how it sounded in my head. (Not really)**  
** Hope you enjoyed :)**


	42. Bake a Cake

After baking and cooling the cake, Kagura was instructed to frost and decorate it, due to her "unusual creativity". The girl promised not to eat the cake, and Rein and Shinpachi set to completing the decorations and moving the few tables into the room. Half an hour passed, and Rein moved to the kitchen. Kagura had covered the cake in white frosting. Since the girl was doing well, Rein left without a word.

Back in her room, she decided to check on Gintoki. As long as he did not come downstairs looking for them, everything would be fine. The man was sitting in the bathtub, scrubbing himself like there was no tomorrow. Frowning, Rein walked to his side. He paid her next to no mind, just continued to scrub his arms, neck and chest.  
"Oi, get my back." The man commanded, offering the puff to Rein. She nodded, and took the teal scrub from his hands. As the woman cleaned his back, Gintoki glared at her occasionally. Confused, Rein decided to try to ask.

"What?" The flat tone of the woman's voice portrayed no hint that she cared and Gintoki scowled.  
"Your little buddy tried to rape me, that's what!"  
"Wait- What?!" Pausing, Rein moved to the side of the tub to study Gintoki.  
"Yeah! He was pouring too much oil in his hands! I know what he was doing!"  
Shaking her head, Rein peered around the room. Grabbing a bar of soap, she held it up. Pointing at the top she spoke.  
"If this was your head, where did he touch you? I'll cut it off of him." She shrugged, and Gintoki scowled.  
"I'm not a child!" Smacking the bar of soap away, and man crossed his arms.  
"That man had evil intent when he spoke... I know it... And when he grabbed my shoulders- I can still feel it... DON'T STOP SCRUBBING!" The Yorozura demanded and Rein nodded.  
Moving behind the man, she continued to wash his back.

* * *

Over an hour later, Rein moved to the kitchen. Kagura had stacked the cake three layers high, and it was looking good. Walking to her side, Rein inspected her skill. Immediately frowning, the woman nudged her arm.  
"Erm... Kagura-Chan... Why did you draw Santa Clause on it?"  
The Yato grinned at Rein over her shoulder  
"You said to decorate it!"  
Nodding slowly Rein shifted her gaze.  
"Yes... But I meant to write something like 'Happy Birthday Gintoki' and make something like flowers or strawberries to go on it..."  
"No- this is better, Gintoki LOVES Santa!" Kagura insisted.

Falling silent, Rein watched as Kagura drew a large white dog; Sadaharu. It was not until the girl made large brown swirls on the round behind the dog that Rein was worried. Scowling Rein pointed to the swirls in question.  
"Kagura- What is that? What are those?!"  
"It's Sadaharu!" The girl grinned. Shaking her head, Rein tried to think of a better way to ask.  
"No- Is that shit?! Are you drawing SHIT on his cake?!"

When she received no answer, Rein panicked.  
"You are! That's exactly what you're doing! It even looks like shit! Why would you put shit on his birthday cake?! S- SHINPACHI!" Turning around, Rein waited for the boy to come to her aid. When all she received was a scream in response, she rushed to the room the boy was decorating.

To Rein's relief, it wasn't another fake girl-blob monster combo. To her dismay, it was a fire.  
"How did you so this?! You were just laying sheets over the tables!" Rushing to Shinpachi's side, Rein ignored the boy' panic.

When she pulled a cigarette from the pocket of her dull blue yukata he turned to her.  
"What are you doing?! Aren't you gonna help me?!" He asked and Rein nodded. Dismissively waving at the boy, She held her hair back and lit her cigarette in the quickly spreading flames.  
"Yeah, but I can't buy another lighter out here..."  
"Lighter?! You're worried about lighters?!"  
"No- Kagura drew piles of shit on Gintoki's cake... Kinda worried about that... I don't think he's gonna like it..." Rein sighed. Casually walking to a hidden closet the woman pulled a fire extinguisher out ignoring the loud "WHAT?!" from Shinpachi.  
"Safety measures." She smirked. Holding her cigarette between her lips, the woman sprayed the fire out, and Shinpachi jumped back.

Seconds later the room looked impossibly worse than before. Shaking her head, Rein motioned to the kitchen. Shinpachi followed behind her, and to their horror, only half of the cake in question remained. Kagura's face was covered in icing, and the two froze behind her. The girl curiously turned to look at them, unfazed by their wide-eyed expressions.  
"K- Kagura-Chan!" They gasped in unison.  
"W- What have you-"  
"You didn't like the Sadaharu half, so I got rid of it!" The girl answered before Rein could finish asking.

Immediately panicking, Shinpachi and Rein ran to the cake.  
"W- W- We can fix it! It's okay! Just slid this half over here!" Shinpachi ordered. Nodding Rein slid the second layer beside the first and the now rectangular top to the middle. The sides were uneven, and even as they repetitively frosted over it, it did not it any better.  
"Put it back in the oven! That always helps!" Rein declared and the pair carefully shoved the cake back in the stove.

Kagura stood back and watched as the two tried to the best of their abilities to salvage the remains of the cake. Five minutes later, all of the icing had melted and it was worse. The two gasped, and moved it back to the counter, trying to re-frost the cake. Nothing made it better.  
"Kagura-Chan! Get over here and draw Santa Clause again! It's out only hope!" Rein commanded. The girl nodded and grabbed her piping bag.

The Santa Clause looked horrible. Nothing made the cake better. When the candles were put in, it looked worse.  
"Okay- maybe it's just us right now... Let's move it to the table, and in the morning, it'll get better..." Rein hoped, and Shinpachi nodded. The cake platter was heavy, and the two lifted it together. Kagura watched, wondering why they had not asked for her help, as they walked past her. Rein and Shinpachi carried it to the horribly decorated room, and set it on a nice, round wooden table. Sighing in relief, Rein pushed another cigarette to her lips.

"Okay... Now we just cover it, and wait... It's bound to get better overnight..." The woman stated, nodding to reassure herself. Shinpachi and Kagura stared at the cake blankly, slowly nodding as well. Nobody wanted to admit it was hopeless. They did not have the heart. As Rein grabbed the round glass top to cover the cake with she forced a tight smile. The woman's panic was obvious, and she sighed as the covered the cake. Not even a second later, the leg of the table broke and the cake fell straight to the floor.

All of the jaws in the room dropped. Nobody seemed to breathed, simply stared at their failed attempt at a birthday. Two of the four tables were burnt, and covered in Monoamonium Phosphate. The decorations looked horrible, and the cake was now ruined even worse than when Kagura had drawn shit on it, and eaten half of it. Without a word, Rein walked away. She could do no more. Shinpachi and Kagura peered at one another before following suit.


	43. Back on Track

Night had fallen, and Rein laid on the opposite side of the bed. Gintoki wondered why she was keeping such a distance between them, she had come back, plopped down, and turned her back to him. While she was known to be cold, she was not to him. It was a known fact that she could be a bitch to someone one second then turn to him and be completely happy, and even laugh. Despite the constant scowl, she was not angry; she just looked that way... The woman would always lay on him, and poke fun at him once they were alone.

The man glanced at her back, wondering what the hell was going on. He was the one who should be upset, not her. They had forgotten his birthday after all. And here she was, moping about like her puppy had just been run over and mailed to her in a plastic container that read "Sorry 'bout that". Sighing, Gintoki turned to face her. Though he was upset, he wanted to know what was going on. Even when he had left the room, Kagura and Shinpachi had seemed as though their souls had been sold, and they too, had lost puppies.

Wrapping his arm around Rein, Gintoki pulled her across the bed and against himself.  
"Oi, what's wrong with you?"  
The woman slowly turned to face him, looking like death itself. She uttered some undesirable groan of defeat, and he frowned. Something was definitely wrong. Normally when Rein thought she had been beaten, she would just cut somebody, and feel better. While he wasn't about to volunteer to be that somebody, he wanted to know.  
"Erm... Okay, don't do that... You sounded like a dying carpet..."  
"Carpet..?" Rein asked, confusion flickering across her features. She asked how that was possible and Gintoki sighed.  
"Because, when carpets die, the people around them spill things on them. That normally results in a low groan of 'damn now I have to buy another'; hence dying carpet."  
"But... Isn't that sound coming from the people?" The woman asked.

Smirking in the victory of engaging a conversation, Gintoki shook his head.  
"That's what you would think, but the people wouldn't make that sound if it wasn't for the carpets. So it's really the carpet."  
A moment of silence passed, and Rein turned back over, not bothering to argue. That was not normal. She always dissected his stupid statements. For that reason alone did he use such a ridiculous simile. Damn it, this was worse than he thought. Something horrible must have happened. The thought of Dai dying from Gintoki's elbow of fury crossed him, but then again, that creepy man deserved that. Something had to give...

"So- What the hell's wrong with you? Why are you rolling around like you can't move?"  
Jumping straight to the point, Gintoki frowned as he pulled Rein back over. She stared up at him, slightly scowling. But it was a scowl of defeat. Silence followed his question, and Gintoki stared down at the woman blankly.  
"Everything messed up... Not a single thing went right... I can't do anything but kill people properly..." She finally murmured. A confused frown creased Gintoki's otherwise expressionless face, and he tried to make sense of the woman's words. Instead of thinking too hard, he decided to try his hand at advice.  
"When your passion and purpose is greater than your fears and excuses, you will find a way."

The words hung in the air, and Rein frowned up at the deadpan face the man maintained. Seconds passed, and she nodded. After shifting her gaze, Rein sat up, and nodded again.  
"I guess..."

Gintoki watched her for a moment, and soon she was leaving the room. What the hell was that about?

* * *

"So you're gonna make a birthday thing for Rein's boyfriend?"  
Peering at the girl behind her, Kagura nodded.  
"Yep! Eyebrow-Chan was so upset she didn't even smoke her cigarette! She just let it fall to the ground and left, Aru" Kagura answered. The girl talking to her was Nanako, Dai's daughter.  
"So you're gonna make it all better?" She asked and Kagura grinned.  
"Of course! And she'll buy me all the sukonbu I can eat!" Now the Yato exploded into a chorus of laughter, which somehow weighed on the edge of "evil genius".  
"But you need more strawberries, right?"  
Falling silent, Kagura peered down at the girl.  
"Yeah... We used them all in the first cake... Aru" Defeat suddenly took Kagura's voice, and she lowered her gaze. When she had checked the refrigerator, she had found everything but the strawberries. She could make a chocolate cake, or vanilla. But she wanted to stick to the original plan. Rein had given her a card with recipes she had claimed her mom used. Something about a briefcase. But now it seemed as if Kagura's cooking would have to stray, and the result would be a wild card.

"Well, there are some wild plants out in the forest. It's not far from here- We could go collect some, and have a cake in the oven in less than an hour. My dad taught me how to cook!"  
Wide eyed, Kagura stared down at Nanako. The girl's copper eyes held excitement, and a new form of determination that Kagura needed at this point. Needless to say, she agreed.

* * *

In the training room, Rein found Shinpachi cleaning up.  
"Oi, what are you doing still awake?"  
Turning to face the woman, Shinpachi forced a small smile.  
"I figured Dai wouldn't want to find the room left like this." He stated, turning back to the spot where the cake hit the floor. The boy had already thrown it away, and was mopping the hardwood.  
"Yeah... Me too..." Rein nodded, turning to one of the tables. The woman started to tug the burnt sheets away, and pull Kagura's weird decorations from the ceiling. Soon the two were cleaning together in complete silence. Once the room was as good as new, they stopped, and glanced at one another.

"Well... I'm going back to sleep..." Rein murmured, watching Shinpachi.  
"Yeah... That's best. I'm going to do the same. Sleep is very important- Without it, the body grows weak, and can't complete simple tasks or thought processes. Even scientists have not discovered why we need to sleep, they just know that we do. The only proof of us having to s getting tired, but it's still not clear why. You know they say if we sleep too often-"  
"Shinpachi- Stop." The woman interrupted. When the boy had ceased talking, she crossed her arms.  
"Are you trying to talk me out of the room so you can redecorate all on your own?" The question caused the boy to shift his gaze, and Rein nodded slowly.  
"Well... I appreciate it, but it will go faster with the two of us..." Reaching into her pocket, Rein pulled out a new roll of blue banners. A smile curled Shinpachi's lips, and he nodded.  
Together, the two set to properly dressing the room once more.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! Sorry about taking a minute to update. You know when you know what you want to say, and what's going to happen, but you just have to figure the process, because you don't know how to say it? Yeah, that's what happened to me. Of course, it won't last long, this chapter is proof of that :) So- I hope you enjoyed, even though it's short. I will try to piece my thoughts together to make everything as smooth as it is in my brain. Lol. Hope that didn't sound too weird. **


	44. Suspicion

**A/N: Woooo articulating! Articulating! **  
**So- A nice semi-long chapter, to make up for my short drabbles lately. Hope the wait wasn't too long!**  
**Enjoy :)**

* * *

With everybody working together to recreate the birthday party, things moved along quickly. Kagura and Nanako gathered just enough berries for a cake. Rein and Shinpachi redecorated the training room, and it looked more presentable then before. Everything was moving at a smooth pace. Upon leaving the training room for coffee, Rein found Kagura and Nanako waiting for the cake to finish baking. The girls were seated on the counter, giggling, and chatting. Finding time to spare, Rein leaned back on the counter beside Kagura, holding two canned coffees.

"So you couldn't sleep either, eh?"  
"No. Aru" Grinning, Kagura glanced at the woman, seeming to be on the verge of laughing.  
When asked what was so funny, the girls divulged that Dai was sleeping with a homeless sign on him, and they wrote, "Will have sex for food" on it. Shaking her head, Rein could not help but snicker at the girls. No sooner than they had finished laughing, the man in question stumbled into the room. His face was covered in crudely drawn penises, and he appeared to be half-asleep.

The moment the girls saw him, wide goofy grins curled their lips. Their clenched jaws seemed to be the only thing between them, and a crazed stream of laughter.  
"What?"The man lazily snapped, rubbing the side of his neck.  
"N- Nothing..." Coughing to mask her amusement, Rein placed her wrist to her mouth, so not to taint the coffee. Between coughs, she managed to work in the words "Penis face" and Kagura and Nanako found it the funniest thing in the world. Frowning at the group of girls, who had burst into maniacal laughter, Dai grabbed water from the refrigerator and slowly left the room.

After instructing the girls to stick to birthday related pictures, or writing when they decorate the cake, Rein returned to Shinpachi. The boy had just finished hanging banners, and dressing the tables. He gratefully accepted his coffee, and sat on the floor.  
"So what else is there to do?" Popping the can open, Shinpachi focused his eyes on the blue banners overhead. Rein shrugged, and released a deep sigh.  
"Kagura is making a new cake with Nanako, so I guess there isn't much." The words earned a nod, and Rein sat down next to Shinpachi.  
"What's Gin-San doing?"  
"Gin? I don't know..."

* * *

Sighing, Gintoki stared at the ceiling. He was still in bed, waiting for Rein to return or something. The man propped his arms behind his head, trying to make sense of everything. She had run off in such a hurry he did not know what to think. And to make things even more suspicious, she had been gone for hours. The thought of everybody tricking him crossed his mind. Maybe they hadn't forgotten his birthday after all. But then again, they had been pretty convincing with their nonchalant confusion, and what not. When he really thought about it, their normal response would have been more questions, though. They would have asked what was wrong, or tried to figure out why he had been upset.

If it was not for Gintoki's 'amazing' acting skills, they might have actually known he was angry. For him to portray emotion was a moderately rare occasion, yet he seemed to have done such a good job masking it that nobody questioned him. And for Rein to be in some unknown location doing some unknown thing, she had to have something planned. Especially after moping around. That just was not normal. She did not even snap some lame defense at him, or try to deny the fact that she was upset.

Thoroughly curious, the Yorozura climbed out of the bed. He pulled his nightclothes on over his boxers, and started from the room. Shoving his pinky into his nose, he held his regular deadpan expression. Something was up, and he was going to find out. On his way down the stairs, the man decided to test the waters.

"Oi! Rein, where the hell are you?"

Immediate panic set over the group the moment they heard the familiar disinterested voice. Jumping to their feet, Rein and Shinpachi rushed to the door of the training room. Apparently, surprises are almost impossible to conceal. So is suspicious behavior. Shinpachi slammed the door behind them, and frowned at the boy. Of course, he would draw attention to the room. Gintoki was barely at the bottom of the stairs when Rein reached him. From where they were standing, a very awkward Shinpachi was barely visible. The boy's conspicuously bent arm could be seen around the corner. He did not even have anything behind his back and he looked like he was hiding something.

"Oh, hey Gin... What's up?" Rein asked, grinning far too wide to be natural.  
Blankly staring at the woman, Gintoki stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He continued to dig in his nose, studying her expression.  
"Why are you doing that?" The man finally asked after a long pause.  
"What?"  
"That stupid grin. And what do you mean 'What's up'? You never say that." Flicking a booger away, Gintoki smirked.  
Rein forced a scowl, and crossed her arms, appearing to be trying to hard now.  
"Shut up, I can smile if I want to."

Another pause in the conversation ensued, and Gintoki started past her. Quickly turning to face the man, Rein grabbed the bend of the man's arm. He stopped, and peered at her, still donning his deadpan expression.  
"What?"  
Shifting her gaze, the woman tried to act natural.  
"Where are you going? Aren't you tired?"  
Gintoki slowly shook his head, and muttered something about milk. When he tried to proceed, Rein's grip tightened, and he peered at her again.  
"Uh, I'll get you something... What did you want?"  
"Why're you being so nice? What's wrong with you?" The question caused obvious discomfort, and Gintoki stared at the woman who was avoiding eye contact. Seconds passed, and he caught a familiar scent.  
"Something smells good... I'm gonna go check it out." As the man started to walk away, Rein pulled him into a random kiss. Surprise crossed Gintoki, but he was not about to refuse. The man laced a hand through her hair, allowing himself to fall into the unexpected passion. Without warning, Rein tried to pull him back towards the wooden stairs, and slipped her tongue across his lips. Something was up. This confirmed it. What was in the kitchen? Moreover, was that Shinpachi's arm he kept looking at? Why was Shinpachi just standing around the corner holding something behind his back?

Swiping one of his legs behind Rein's he managed to knock her off balance. Of course, the man gripped her yukata and gently lowered her on the stairs. Their lips disconnected, and she frowned up at him.  
"Oi..." The Yorozura breathed, moving his lips to the woman's neck. She sighed, as he roughly grazed his teeth across her skin.  
"Hmm?"  
"You know what I think?" Gintoki asked, making sure to use his most seductive tone. It was obvious that Rein's plan could be used against her. That was exactly what he would do. She intended to trick him with sex; well he knew that she was a lot more likely to be wrapped up in it. Rein murmured a light "What?" as Gintoki flicked his tongue across her skin, just under her ear. Secretly grinning, the man was positive he had won. She was clutching the fabric over his shoulders, paying no attention to the fact that she didn't want him to be downstairs.  
"You're... _Hiding_ something."  
Upon hearing the words, Rein froze, and sharply inhaled. She had been tricked. This was a horrible strategy. Slowly turning to peer at Gintoki, who had halted his motions, she was met with a wide childish grin.

Before she could utter a single word, the man jumped to his feet, and dashed down the hallway; towards the kitchen. As he passed the corner his suspicions were confirmed, that was Shinpachi; holding something behind his back, and looking as if he had just shit in the urinal. As Gintoki passed, Shinpachi's jaw dropped. The man had to make it to the kitchen. Gintoki knew this scent; he knew it very well... In a rushed haze Rein pushed herself up and followed the man.  
"KAGURA-CHAN! KAGURA!"

The two tore down the hallway, Gintoki being surprisingly agile. Not even three meters away was the entrance to the kitchen. Managing to grasp Gintoki's arm, Rein was shocked when he shoved her face back.  
"OI! Fucker, that's cheating!" She hissed, stomping on his foot.  
"OW! _FUCK! _REIN!"Jumping up, Gintoki grasped his damaged toes. Combat boots against bare feet, the outcome was obvious. When the woman tried to pull him away, Gintoki stuck both of his hands in her face, and started to vigorously rub her head.  
"Wh- What the- _hell_ are you _doing?!" _Shoving her hands in his face, Rein started pushing him back and messing his hair up as well. Gintoki pushed her head to the side, causing Rein to stumble and almost knocking her off balance. It did not take long for her to regain herself, she didn't even stumble. By the time Rein recovered, Gintoki was rushing ahead. With one swift movement, she tackled him from behind.

The two landed in front of the kitchen, and Gintoki peered up at the bar, only to find Kagura and Nanako staring down at him; eating ice cream. The cake was already concealed. There was nothing to see. Shifting her gaze between the two girl, and Gintoki, Rein scowled.  
"See? You see all this? There's nothing in here!"  
Frowning in confusion, Gintoki peered up at the woman. If there was nothing, what was with the chase and the face rubbing? They certainly did not do that on a regular basis. But Shinpachi was acting suspicious too. Using a single arm, Gintoki shoved Rein off himself, and started back towards his brother-figure.

Of course, Rein ran after him, shouting for the man to stop. It only took a manner of second to understand that even if he did stop he was going to be seriously injured. Rein was shouting a slew of threats, each more terrifying then the last.  
"You know I'm not joking! I have the key to your room!" She declared, and Gintoki's eyes widened. Would she really burn the jump he brought with him? She wouldn't, right? Rounding the corner, Gintoki caught sight of Shinpachi, still standing in the same place, donning his 'Improper shitter' face. The moment the boy saw Gintoki he started running backwards down the hall, concealing the item behind his back.  
"Run Shinpachi! RUN!" Rein commanded, figuring that the boy had to have something incriminating if he was giving chase.  
"I am! I am!" The boy shouted back, as Gintoki and Rein ran towards him, full force. The Yorozura was quickly catching up. Shinpachi could not maintain distance running backwards. The boy started to yell, as Gintoki reached towards him. Managing to snatch Shinpachi's shirt, Gintoki swiftly turned him around.

The moment he saw the boy's secret item, all excitement drained from the man.  
"A pine cone?"  
Shinpachi gazed at him over his shoulder, his cheeks flushed.  
"W- Why the hell are you blushing?!" Gintoki demanded, snatching the pine cone from the boy's hands. Shinpachi turned to face him, and Rein stopped behind Gintoki, lightly panting.  
"Shinpachi... What the hell did you run for?" The woman asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, do you expect me to just stand there when Gin-San is running at me like that!?" The boy retorted. Shaking her head, Rein peered at Gintoki who was blankly staring at the pine cone. What did it mean?  
"But...You were running backwards, like you were hiding something." The woman pointed out. Silence fell over the group, as all stared at the pine cone. Why did he even have a fucking pine cone?

Sighing, Rein grabbed the back of Gintoki's shirt. She tugged the disappointed Gintoki away, and the man dropped the pine cone, not bothering to offer a fight.


	45. Birthday Puzzle

An entire morning with nothing exciting. Just a delicious breakfast. Other than that not a single word had been said to Gintoki. The world continued to move, despite the fact that nobody remembered his special day. But who cared, right? It did not matter that he was a whole year older. No, he would just lay in bed all day, allowing the icy fingers of death and old age to caress his sullen face. Everybody paid him no mind, all talking about some random movie, or singer. Kagura had mentioned Dustin Beaver, causing all at the breakfast table to cringe. Why did the girl have to be so in touch with the teenage world?

It was already noon and nothing seemed to give. The only thing that drew Gintoki from his bed was an undeniable need to use the bathroom. Groaning in annoyance, the man hoisted himself up and lumbered to the bathroom. Flipping the light on, the man took himself into his hand and aimed at the toilet. He was not even looking, just wanted to hurry and get back to bed. Then something troubled him. From the corner of his eyes, he found the lid was down.

Nevertheless, he was already about to release. He could not just pee on the toilet seat! But he couldn't stop it! He did not WANT to stop it. Cutting the flow of pee off was dangerous. Women might be able to do that all willy-nilly, but not men... No, not men at all. It was the longest second of his life, seeming to move in slow motion. Wide eyed, Gintoki whipped his head in the direction of the toilet to attain better view. The man knew he was exclaiming "NO" but could not hear himself. He could only hear the urine in his bladder, rushing to make an appearance. He had to move. HAD to find somewhere else to do this. It was impossible to lift the lid- he did not have that much time.

As quickly as possible, Gintoki shifted his aim. He only had one chance. If he missed by even a centimeter, it would be everywhere. It was happening; rushing through him. Nevertheless, he made it. The Yorozura was safe. Positioned over the sink.

After his moment of 'holy shit, I'm so lucky that the sink was conveniently placed only a foot away from the toilet', Gintoki sighed in relief. Slight annoyance crossed him, and he lifted the toilet seat. Damn women; always putting men in crazy life-or-death situations like this. To his surprise, under the toilet seat was a note. What an odd place to put that... Frowning, he pulled the paper from its prison of tape and unfolded it.

_"_R_- Where did everybody go? Check the fridge if you want to know. Gather the letters figure it out, or in your bed will be a drought. __**I N**__"  
_Puzzled by the odd message, Gintoki stared at Rein's handwriting. At least it was pretty, but why put something like this on the toilet? That is just asking for it to be peed on... So the refrigerator, huh? What did she mean by figure it out? Did she just threaten his sex life? Why? Not the sex! Anything but that! And the Jump... Not the Jump.

* * *

On the way to the kitchen, the man found the halls eerily empty. Not a single soul was insight. There were no footsteps, no ambient noise... From the looks of things nobody was in the lodge at all! When the man reached the kitchen, he found it just as empty as suspected. He was all alone.

Opening the refrigerator, Gintoki found every shelf filled with nothing but strawberry milk. His jaw dropped, and he stared at it wide eye. Was it because of his birthday? Was this his present? A year's supply of milk? REALLY?! As he was trying to figure what to do something hard dropped on top of his head. Pausing, the man gazed over his shoulder, only to find a wooden plank with another note. After grabbing one of the containers of milk, he picked it up. As he took his first sip of strawberry deliciousness, he studied the words. This was not Rein's writing. Somebody else did this. It was not even a poem. Just regular old writing.

_"_S_- See all this milk? It belongs to you now. It's a gift... Aren't you happy? doesn't it look nice? Now rink it all within half an hour, or your next clue will dissolve in one of the bottles and a bomb will go off, and destroy all of the milk. It's hidden in one of the bottles. And don't try to cheat... I'm watching. __**R O**__"_

Immediately spitting the milk out, Gintoki snapped his attention back to the refrigerator. Half an hour?! That's not possible! Even for him, the lover of all things sweet, this was not a realistic goal. He would die! But... He could try... When he spit the milk out, a loud snap sounded. Gintoki ducked just in time to evade a bottle of vinegar, which was sky rocketing towards his head. _Oh, shit_. This person meant business. Why was this happening? Gintoki found himself gawking at the broken glass bottle, and the pungent smell of vinegar filled the air.

That alone was enough to kill anyone's appetite. Gintoki could never eat, let alone drink, with the aroma. The microwave beeped, drawing his attention to the screen. It read 27:12.  
There was a timer! CRAP! Moving as quickly as possible, Gintoki chugged the bottle of strawberry milk in his hand. When finished he looked into the refrigerator. There was one expensive looking carton. That had to be the one. Taking it, he ripped the top off, and started to devour it, hoping to find his clue and leave before the bomb went off. Half way through the bottle, a note swashed into his mouth. Taking care not to swallow it, Gintoki pulled the laminated paper out.  
_"You thought you could just pick the different one and get away with it? That it would be that easy? Come on, boss, try harder."_

He had been misled! Wasted time! Taking four cartons of milk, the man started to pour all of them into his mouth. Though he had started out with a glimmer of hope, he was quickly growing less and less hungry. That morning he had already eaten a hearty breakfast. One with fish and miso. Fruit, and eggs. It was too much. He could not take any more! Grabbing an arm full of milk, Gintoki dropped them in the large sink. If he moved quickly, he would be able to find the clue and the bomb, without being injured. He had to do it. As much as he did not want to waste milk, this was a desperate time. Twice in one day he would be saved by a sink. What if he swallowed the bomb? Then what? Wasting no time, the Yorozura started to punch the cartons of milk. He deeply regretted having to waste it all, but hoped he could salvage a few. When he did not see anything, he grabbed another armful and repeated the process.

The timer on the clock was quickly running out. Too quickly. As if it was not counting minutes, but maybe half minutes. He was down to twelve already. Panicking, Gintoki grabbed another armful of milk, and threw it in the sink. This had to work! If not, the entire lodge would blow up. His jump would blow up. He would blow up and so would Rein. He had to be a hero! To sacrifice the milk! Another armful, and five minutes. Why was punching the bottles so difficult? What terrorist had targeted him, and why would Rein lead him to it? And the grand countdown. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

Freezing, Gintoki waited for the bomb to explode. He had tensed up, wishing this wasn't happening. His eyes closed, and he remained in place, positive he was about to die Much to his surprise, the microwave popped open, and confetti washed over him.  
"Yaaaaaaaayyy." A monotone voice called from the tiny device. People could be heard clapping, as if there was an entire group watching him, but he was still alone. It was inside of the microwave. That voice could only belong to one person. Fucking Sougo. He had planned this all out. There was no bomb. A small wooden plank was on the glass dish in the center of the microwave, with something square attached to it. Sighing, Gintoki examined the plank.

_"_T_- When an idiot wants a clue, he knows what to do. __**3-A**__"_

What? Do what? What the hell did that mean? Why was he being insulted? There was a pack of cigarettes attached to the back of the plank. Wait a second, Gintoki did _not_ smoke! This person was delusional, whoever they were. Moreover, their handwriting was different; chicken scratch. Sighing to himself, Gintoki snatched a lighter off the counter, and left his strawberry milk mess. At least there was still some left. As the man walked towards the sliding glass door, there was an explosion. Jumping in surprise, he turned towards the kitchen. Dark smoke was billowing from some appliance and around the corner. What the fuck. Sougo had planted a real bomb! But... What was Sougo doing here? Quickly turning away, Gintoki rushed to the training yard.

Deserted. As everything else in the lodge, it was completely empty. Sitting on a small wooden bench, Gintoki stared at the cigarettes. When he opened the pack, there was another small note in the lid.  
_"Dumb ass, I bet you were really going to smoke, weren't you? Hasn't anyone ever told you about peer pressure? Look in the back of the pack, and save the damn cigarettes for me."_

Well that was easy.  
In the back of the pack, there was a single slip of paper the size of a business card.

_"_K_- Crawl under a rock, on the riverside. It's the perfect place to hide. __**T**__"_

Okay. Rock by the river. Standing up, the Yorozura walked around the training yard and to the small metal fence. He slipped the cigarettes into his pocket, and walked towards the river. But he didn't see any rocks. The only thing the man found was a giant boulder, which was as tall as his chest. The fuck? That could not be it... Shifting his gaze back to the clue, he found the handwriting was undeniable. Kagura. This was Kagura's doing. She had placed his next cue under the boulder, and expected him to move it like it was nothing. So far the letters did not spell anything either. But that _K_ had to stand for the girl's name, that much was known. This was a joke. It had to be. How the hell could he possible lift the boulder?

Gintoki knew if he tried, it would lead to premature death. His back would be thrown out, and he would die, all alone, with nobody to help him. However, maybe if he... Placing his hand to the boulder, Gintoki shoved against it with all his might. Of course, it barely even moved. The only thing that could help him was science. Walking back to the training yard, the man found a shovel leaned against the wall. Exactly what he needed, and conveniently placed as well.

Now, with his trusty shovel he would do the impossible. The boulder was already looking easier to move. It took a good amount of time to accomplish what he had set to do. The sun beamed down on him from overhead, causing beads of sweat to form on his neck. The man dug beside the boulder, making a trail straight towards the river. If he had estimated properly, with a good shove, it would roll away. Moving back to the other side of the boulder, Gintoki started to push with every ounce of strength he had. It took a minute but his plan worked. The boulder tipped, fell to the rounded side, and rolled straight into the river with a loud splash. Perfect.

Two pieces of paper were crumpled in the dirt, covered in bits of mud. Picking the sheets up, Gintoki found another from Kagura.  
_"I knew you could do it! Good job, stupid!"_  
The next was from a different person.  
"S- _Across a river, not a sea, it's hidden within pretty knees. Pale white arms and purple leaves, to get your clue you must find me. __**G"**_

It's hidden in someone's knee? Okay, it was official. His friends were on drugs. How the hell did they think of this? Shaking his head, Gintoki started towards the waterfall. There was a small rock path leading across it, and he could easily cross it as long as he kept his footing. The man shoved the clues in his pocket, and continued. It did not even take a minute to reach the fall and the Yorozura slowly walked along the rocks underneath it. Bits of water splashed his legs and arms. An occasional drop would find his face, and the height of the rock formation blocked him from the sun. The cool sensation danced down his spine, as he precisely placed his feet, taking care not to slip. Damp air surrounded him, and he deeply inhaled as he stepped to the opposite side of the river. Okay. To find purple leaves. It was probably a tree, or something. But knees?

* * *

**A/N: Hello my wonderfuls :)**  
**I have found myself in a bit of a slump lately, but very slowly, I seem to be emerging. Actually, I think I found the cause, but that's not important. Today I spent my time decorating, and cooking for my sister's birthday (We're both Taurus, with almost two weeks between our birthdays). While I was waiting for the cake to bake I decided there was no better day then a birthday to write a chapter about a birthday! Wow. I'm saying that word a lot. I think I'm up to four now. So- Thank you for being patient with me! You all rock, and I hope you're having a great day or night!**


	46. Birthday Puzzle Pt 2

Humid air only added to the heat of day. Walking around a rocky path, Gintoki tried to find something with purple knees. Wait- was it leaves, or knees? Looking back at the note, he read over it again. Oh, yeah; pale arms, knees and purple leaves. Defiantly a tree. He did not see anything like that around here. The man hiked around the forest, frowning at the odd task. It did not make sense. He suspiciously eyes ever tree, expecting to be fooled by a single leaf or something equally ridiculous. It was not until he saw a tiny speck on the dirt that the man froze. He stared at the ground, and knelt beside it.

Just what he had expected; paint. Moreover, it made small trail. Sighing, Gintoki started to follow said trail, shaking his head at the stupidity of the situation. What was all this for? The man figured they were trying to make up for forgetting his birthday. At least they tried, but this was not even fun. Or hard. He just had to do too much for his liking. The various drops of purple led Gintoki to a small grassy clearing. In the middle of the clearing, there was a tree. It was painted white, and the leaves had been painted purple. What the fuck? But the man didn't see knees. As he approached the tree, he caught sight of something even more stupid.

Mannequin knees. Somebody had screwed mannequin knees onto the bottom of the tree. The just limply hung there, not doing anything at all. And arm. Pale white painted mannequin arms. This was too much. Now where was his clue? The writing said it was within pretty knees... Hopefully it didn't mean between. The moment Gintoki grabbed one of the lags he was smacked.

What the fuck? The limp mannequin hands just slapped him!  
"Hehehe, it's the first date- Stop it!"  
The man's jaw dropped as he stared at the tree dumbfounded. Really? He had to woo a tree? Not happening. Snatching the legs back up, he dodged another slap. Next thing he knew, the legs in his hands were kicking. Him in the face that is.  
"RAPE RAPE RAPE RAPE!" The tree started to shout. From his new found spot on the ground, Gintoki held a hand to his cheek, gaping in horror.  
"NO! NO! SHUT UP! DON'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!"  
Ducking down, the Yorozura evaded the pale hands of the mannequin.  
"Don't do this to me... I trusted you..." Apparently, this thing had feelings... Or something like that. Sighing, Gintoki peered up at the tree. There was an oddly carved face over the arm,. The only way to avoid such an awkward situation was to talk to it. Mustering his most seductive voice, he tried again.  
"Look, it's nothing like that. I've waited too long though... Do you intend to hold out forever? Be a prude?"  
"No, it's nothing like that! Really! I'm just nervous..." It responded in a low voice.

Internally kicking himself for having a conversation with an inanimate object, the man continued.  
"Don't be nervous, I'll do everything..."  
A moment of silence passed, and the limps started to violently jiggle. Unsure of what to think, the man remained in place, watching the tree go out of control. Seconds later, the legs fell limp again. A corny tune filled the air, with an announcer like voice declaring "Success!". To Gintoki's surprise, a small compartment on the right knee opened, and revealed a sheet of paper. Shaking his head, he pushed himself to his feet, and took the clue.

"O- _Behind a wall of water lays the thing you seek on something else... __**IN**_"

Taking a second to think about the new clue, Gintoki started back. The only wall of water could be the waterfall. After retracing his steps, the Yorozura found himself, back at the river. He carefully examined the water wondering if there was really anything behind it. The only thing he saw was darkness. it was pitch black. Swallowing his pride, he stuck his arm through the water. Nothing but open space.

So it was a cave. Okay. He could deal with that. Before he could enter the opening, he was pulled inside. Crying out in surprise, Gintoki passed under the waterfall and struggled to regain his balance without falling. Something was breathing beside him. The Yorozura froze in place, wishing he had night vision. Ever so slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled his lighter out. The man took a deep breath, and lit a flame. Inches away, stood a very angry, deranged looking man.

A startled yelp escaped the Yorozura and he dropped the lighter. Oh, shit. He knew who that was. Lights flickered on, revealing the length of the cave and the fact that the man wore naught but a loincloth. He was still glaring at Gintoki, who uncomfortably tried to keep his eyes away from the man's crotch. However, he had to know.

"Er, oi... Aren't you that guy that uh.. You know... Your uh, dick got cut off?"  
Gintoki's slow, careful speech was met with an angry snort. Just as Gintoki thought he was going to have to drop kick that man in the face, he responded. The man straightened his alarmingly caveman-like posture, and smiled.  
"Oh yeah, that was me! Heh heh, believe it or not, I sewed it back on that day and became a doctor!"  
Pleasantly surprised by the sanity of the voice, and the light-hearted laughter, Gintoki placed a hand to his hair in relief.  
"Oh, really?"

"NO!" The man shouted, flipping back into cave man mode. Taken aback, Gintoki stared at him, completely confused.  
"It's your fault that Willie got taken away from me!" The man accused. Pointing a finger at himself, Gintoki shook his head.

"ME? Why me? Why does everybody blame me?! I have nothing to do with your little Johnny!"

"His name is WILLIE! _WILLIE_! WIIIILLLLLLIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE-" The man's voice grew into a deranged war cry, and Gintoki jumped out of the way, as he lunged towards him. The cave dweller whipped around to face him, his breathing erratically.  
"Get away from him! Stay back!" He commanded, sounding crazier by the second. Stepping away as he was once again lunged at; Gintoki felt something snap under his foot. Confused, the Yorozura glanced at his feet, only to find a broken red box. A very familiar... Oh shit. He had the penis with him! He still had the penis! Now it was crushed under Gintoki's right foot.

Gazing at the man who he was positive was called Taro at some point in time, Gintoki's eyes widened. He did not look happy...  
"Oh, uh... Don't worry about it- that's good for it every now and then... It builds character..." Trying to come up with words to offer, Gintoki said the first thing that came to his mind. It was not enough. The man was approaching him with startling speed. Drop kick mode activated.

Stepping out of the way, Gintoki jumped up and kicked the man in the back of the head. As the Yorozura fell, the guy slumped to the ground. His loincloth flew up, revealing an ass crack Gintoki did not want to see. With his shoe, he sort of kicked him until it fell back in place. Why would this man be waiting for him?! Did they set this up too?! Anyway... There was writing on the man's back. He was the clue.

"K- _Gorillas love them. Yellow uh, stuff and... Weight the cluster for your clue. __**RA**_"

Okay, that was poorly written. Taking his phone, Gintoki took a picture of the man's back, and quickly left.

* * *

Yellow things Gorillas love. Bananas. Obviously. That was the easiest thing Gintoki had done all chapter. His friends were being crazy, and he was happy to find a cluster of bananas and weigh them. Didn't take long either. Choosing not to go to the kitchen, Gintoki went to his and Rein's room, relishing in the air conditioning. He pulled the kitchen out of the wall, and weighed the bananas. Apparently, this had been expected of him. It would be easy to guess why he would avoid the kitchen after the whole bomb thing.

Placing a large cluster of bananas on the scale, Gintoki sighed as a note popped from the ceiling. So easy. Why couldn't everything be like this? Well, that's what he was thinking before a large wooden slab fell to the counter in front of him. Two screws were sticking out of it, and Gintoki eyed it before grabbing the note. It was covered in odd machine like handwriting. Only one person could have done this.

"T- _Chose the correct screw. Be warned that the wrong choice will result in a high voltage shock. __**OM**_"

The man stared at the screws in disbelief. What? The correct screw? How could one be correct? Shaking his head, he studied each screw. One had to be different. Minutes passed, and the man did nothing but stare at the screws. He did NOT want to be shocked. Resolving not to pick either of them, the man turned away. A gunshot made him drop to the floor, hoping to not be dead already. His eyes were closed, and hands over his head. Something soft landed on his back, and he slowly peeked at the floor in front of him.

Confetti.

Sighing, the Yorozura stood up, and turned to face the screws. The wooden slab had opened, revealing a note and key.  
"Congratulations Master Gintoki. Neither of the screws were correct. Your mechanical skills have pleasantly astounded me. Arrange all of your clues in alphabetical order, using the first letter of the notes."

Huh. Well. That wasn't as bad as it seemed. Pulling all of the clues from his pocket, Gintoki did as instructed. The man sat on the floor, and sorted through the notes. He almost forgot to use his phone for the picture of Taro's back.

When everything was aligned properly, he read the final product.  
_"Training room 3-A."_

He was finished. No more crazy shit. Now he could go to this room, and hopefully it would not be another "birthday game". Raisin an eyebrow, Gintoki stood up and grabbed the key. With that, he left the room. He descended the stairs, feeling all too tired to really care what was going on. The man rounded a corner, and walked to the room in question. Shinpachi had been standing in front of in front of this door the night before. Using the key, the man unlocked the door, and sighed one last time. The moment he pulled the door open he found a large crowd of people grinning at him.  
"Surprise!"

Wide eyed, Gintoki stared at all of his friends. Some wore pointed party hats, and some held drinks. Everybody he knew was in this room. The Senshigumi, and everybody he came to the lodge stood in the middle of the group. Tsukuyo, Otae, and Kyubei were also present. Otose, Tama and Catherine stood together on the right of the group. His giant scary neighbor with the flower on his head was in the back. Everybody had come just for his birthday. A warm smile tugged at the corner of the man's lips, and he entered the room, glad to be together with everybody who cared about him as he cared for them. When he approached multiple hands patted his back, and he received many "Happy birthday" greetings.

There was even a cake, with a single strawberry in the middle. Suppressing the ridiculous 'Awww you guys!' that threatened to make an appearance, the man examined the nicely decorated room. Four long tables each with food and drinks. Pinecones and full leaves decorated the plain white cloths. Presents had been stacked around the little cake. Everything was made just for him. A low chatter filled the room, and Gintoki turned to the girl beside him. Kagura was grinning up at him, as well as Shinpachi. Rein and Tsukuyo were standing off by a table, talking to each other. Whoa, they were getting along.

"I thought you forgot." Gintoki stated, peering at his two friends.  
"No, we spent two days preparing for this... But we messed it all up. Aru"  
Shinpachi nodded, and motioned to the crowd.  
"Everybody showed up early to help fix it all! So we stalled you with the clues." He added, and surprise crossed Gintoki. Music started playing, and before the man could turn around, a hand clasped his shoulder.

"Oi! Gin-San! Happy birthday!"  
Turning to face Kondo, Gintoki smiled.  
"Thanks!"  
Hijikata was also standing beside Kondo, as well as Sougo. A barely there smile curled Sougo's lips, and he repeated Kondo, as did Hijikata. Happy to be the man of the moment, Gintoki tried to act as cool as possible. He could not just hug everybody. That was not him. He had to play it off, as if it was not that big of a deal. Excitement coursed through him, as he was turned around once again.  
"Gin-San! You hid a girlfriend form us!" Otae donned her usual grin, and stared up at him with her eyes closed. Kyubei wished him a happy birthday.  
"I didn't hide her-"  
"Next time, you need to show us who you're talking to. It would be horrible if they turned out to be a crazed serial killer, who murdered their friends in their sleep. Then they would murder _you_ in _your_ sleep.

"You sure you're not talking about yourself..?"The Yorozura murmured under his breath.

"What? What did you-" Kondo cut off Otae, throwing his arms around her.

Well, it was obvious where this was going; the man was drunk. Seconds later, Gintoki was walking away from the group. Otae and Kyubei were stomping on the Gorilla. Moving on.

"Oi, good-for-nothing perm-head, come here!" Otose beckoned the man over, and he obliged, walking through the crowd. As he was on his way his creepy neighbor stopped him.  
"Hey, happy birthday..." Staring at the large green man, Gintoki nodded slowly.  
"Th-Thanks..."  
"Here... Let me give you this..." The Amanto started to dig through his pockets; and Gintoki hoped it was something nice. Like not death. He did not want death for his birthday.  
The man pulled a small, glass flower from his pocket, and Gintoki took it, slightly surprised.  
"You never have to water it" He offered, and the Yorozura nodded. After thanking him, he started back towards Otose.

"Bout time. Happy birthday, kid!" The older woman placed a hand on his shoulder, and Tama repeated her greeting, sans impatience.  
"Good job with the girlfriend thing, she's really nice- makes me wonder why she's with someone like you- but a sweet girl, nonetheless. Here take this, it's from us." As Otose spoke, Tama handed Gintoki an expensive looking bottle, complete with a bow on top. Just as the man was about to thank them, an explosion sounded.  
"DAMN IT SOUGO! CUT IT OUT!"

Ahh, friends and family.


	47. Never Trust A Cake You Didn't Order

Gintoki felt like a man. Not just any man, mind you. THE man. He was indeed THE man, and could not help but grin at the sight of two women fighting to the death over him. Well, maybe not to the death, but fighting, nonetheless. All of his friends just watched for a minute, nobody caring to break it up. Hey, it was everyone's day off, why should they step in the middle of a catfight when they could just sit back, have a few drinks and see where it goes.

"Oh, my, Gintoki, you've picked such an appropriate woman."  
Gazing to his side, the Yorozura found Otae, smiling and holding her hand to her mouth. Kyubei was nodding with her arms crossed. Smirking at the two, the man nodded, and crossed his arms as well.  
"Yeah, I know."

Hijikata was smoking a cigarette, watching the pair struggle on the ground. He peered up at Gintoki, donning his usual serious expression, yet did not move an inch. Kondo and Kagura were cheering together, as well as Otose, and Tsukuyo. Maybe it was just a speculation, but Gintoki was sure somebody had been collecting bets.

"Oiii, which one of the Hobos will win? Vote now, for a chance to win an original Senshingumi keychain, complete with matching drink covers."  
Turning in the direction of the voice, Gintoki found Sougo carrying a box through the room. Every so often, a bit of money would be thrown into the cardboard box, and Sougo would write down whom they picked. Rein was not even a Hobo any more. Moreover, Gintoki did not think the other woman had ever been a hobo...

It was not until Rein grabbed a seemingly random hatchet that Gintoki decided to step in. The woman below her was glaring up at Rein, as she readied herself to strike.

"Oi, oi, knock it off!" Running up behind Rein, Gintoki wrapped his arms around her torso and dragged her back. Apparently the motion was unexpected enough to make her drop the weapon, but Rein still gripped his forearms and tried to wiggle away. Her legs were kicking and she was reaching for her opponent, stringing a slew of insults together. Though it was hardly lady like to attack somebody at his birthday, the Yorozura didn't mind. Not knowing when your girlfriend is going to grab a weapon and try to kill somebody is exciting.

* * *

It all started when Rein left the room to get a fresh block of ice for drinks. She had left in such a good mod nobody suspected anything. The woman held her usual scowl, but it was a cheerful one. Gintoki had spent enough time to learn these sorts of things. There was indeed a cheerful scowl, a guilty scowl, and a 'I think that's funny, but I'm not gonna laugh at it' scowl. Once near the kitchen, Rein refilled the metal pail with a chunk of ice. That's when she heard it.  
"Look, you know the rules. Sorry boys, but you gotta go."  
"Go?! We paid good money-"  
"Which I'm refunding as we speak, minus damages. You broke a table, a wall, three vases, and an incense burner."  
"Incense burner! We didn't break no fucking incense burner! What the hell are you talking about?!"

Peering over her shoulder, Rein stopped taking bites from her melon pan. She turned around and started towards the lobby. The voice was definitely Dai's, and he seemed to be having an issue with some guests. When she caught sight of the group, Rein found about ten men all standing by the counter, grumbling, and protesting Dai's decision to send them on their way. Taking a bite of her bread, the woman curiously stared at the bunch. It was not until they made a comment about attacking Dai, that she stepped in.  
"And if we don't go? What are you gonna do then? Think you can take us all on, all alone?"

Unsheathing her sword, Rein held her bread to her lips. She pointed at the men, and narrowed her eyes at them.  
"I can."

Multiple pairs of eyes fixed on her, and Rein held her stance, still eating her bread.  
"You? What the hell are you gonna do about us? This has nothing to do with you." A tall man with blond hair sneered the words at her, and she nodded. Stuffing the last bit of bread in her mouth, Rein moved before they had a chance to react. Three men were between her and the blond, she dropped to the ground, kicked their legs from under them, and swung her sword at the man. Stopping when the blade was in contact with the man's neck, she snickered at his suppressed shock.

"You just died. Now stop bitching, and accept the consequences of your actions." A slight scowl slipped across the woman's face, and she retracted her sword. Low murmurs could be heard from the group, as the three men on the ground started to push themselves up. Dai glanced at Rein, but did not comment. This was normal. If there was an issue with guests that seemed as if they would escalate, she would always demonstrate how easy it would be to fix their issue.

When Dai handed them an envelope with their money back, the man continued to grumble, and cast menacing glares at her. The fact that she was not even paying attention to their threats only further annoyed them. The woman was smoking a cigarette and leaning against a wall pillar. She had crossed her arms, and still held her blade, not even looking at them. Enraged the group left.

When Dai was finished logging information, he passed the woman, offering a simple pat on the head.  
"Thanks."  
Nodding, Rein leaned up, and got the ice from the kitchen.

* * *

On the way back to the training room, Rein found Dai wheeling a giant cake towards the door.  
"What is-"  
"Some kind of special delivery for Gin." He answered, pushing the cake on a cart.  
Frowning, Rein held the door open so the man could bring it inside. Awe struck the many people of the room, and they all seemed pleased, and surprised to see such a large cake.

From where he was standing, Gintoki's jaw dropped. He wondered if it was all strawberry, or maybe one chocolate layer, one strawberry. On the other hand, maybe another wonderful combination he could never even dream of. Dai left the cake by the far wall, and Rein walked to Kagura and Shinpachi.  
"Oi, did one of you order that thing? You know how much we went through to make our cake..." Crossing her arms, Rein glanced at the large, perfect cake by the wall. It pissed her off. Why would someone order that stupid professional thing, when they had a perfectly fine strawberry cake, complete with drawings of the Easter bunny, and a duck? Gintoki actually said he liked it too. Though she had suspected he was just being less of an asshole than usual...

"No, I didn't do it. Aru"  
"Neither did I." Shinpachi informed, shaking his head.  
"But it looks good!" Kagura added, grinning.

Competitive juices began to flow. Rein glanced at Kagura and nodded.  
"Destroy it. Somebody is trying to best us. Dispose of it, and you can eat the whole thing alone..." Frowning at the thought of a person competing for affections, Rein started away.  
"Really!?" Kagura asked in disbelief, only to receive a calm nod of approval from Rein.

"Uhh, I think you two are doing this for the wrong reasons. Kagura-Chan, you're just being greedy... And Rein... Well, I don't know why you hate the cake so much, but ours is too small for everybody to have any more than one piece." The voice of reason came from Shinpachi, and both women glared at him. Seeing that he was not going to win, the boy decided to slink off before he was attacked.

As Gintoki made his way through the crowd and to the drinks, a hand on his ankle pulled the man over, and under the table. Nobody seemed to notice his cry of surprise, or the fact that he was clawing at the hardwood, as it was drowned in the constant chatter of his friends. The sound of the man hitting his head was also nearly nonexistent over the music. Concealed by the white table cloth Gintoki found Katsura and Elizabeth eating cookies, and rice. Katsura held his usual calm, serious expression, acting as if he hadn't just forced Gintoki under the table.

"Zura! What the hell was that? Why are you sitting down here?" Demanding the information, Gintoki rubbed the sore spot of his head. Elizabeth held up a sign, which read "Happy Birthday".  
"It's not Zura, it's Katsura. There are Senshingumi out there. Elizabeth and I are studying them; information on the enemy is the best thing to have..."  
Rolling his eyes, Gintoki sighed. At least it made sense.

"We have something for you." Katsura held his hand out, and Elizabeth placed a small box in the man's palm. Without a word, he offered it to the Yorozura. Happy to receive a gift, Gintoki tore into the present. What he found confused him. A small black square, the size of his fingertip.

"Uhh.. What is this?"  
"A bomb. It's the kind Rein liked to get. She always said the big ones are too much of a hassle."  
Frowning at his friend, Gintoki's eyes widened.  
"You're giving me a bomb?! What the hell am I going to do with this?! Why would I want to blow something up?!"  
"You could always put it in the Senshingumi's drink, or food. Maybe even their underwear-"  
"You're trying to get me to do your dirty work?! You gave me a present so I could do you a favor?!" Thoroughly annoyed, Gintoki shoved the box back to Katsura. The man seemed startled to have a bomb rushing at him, but grabbed it. While his eyes were focused on the explosive, Gintoki rushed from under the table.

The first thing he saw was Kagura, trying to throw up on his huge cake. Rushing to the girl, he snatched her back.  
"OI! What the hell are you-"  
"I can't hold it!" The girl barely managed to choke the words, as her cheeks filled with bile. Wide-eyed, Gintoki rushed her to the nearest trash can. The girl kept trying to reach for him, but he shoved her head in the garbage.  
"Why would you be trying to do that on my cake?! Oi! Stop- Stop trying to grab me!"  
"Arrruuuuu" Kagura groaned releasing her sure fire solution to the cake dilemma in the trashcan.

Shaking his head, Gintoki was surprised when the crowd started to sing happy birthday to him. Not exactly what he expected. Holding Kagura's head in the trashcan, and getting pictures taken while everybody sang to him. What a wonderful birthday. Hasegawa crawled under the table with Katsura, and Gintoki wondered what the hell was going on under there. When he released Kagura, the girl stumbled back to hi cake, and he knew she was still going to try to vomit on it. He rushed after the girl, and his friend watched him as if nothing was happening. Relief crept over the man when the Yato girl announced that she had no more to produce.  
"Oh, wait-" Kagura contradicted, grasping her stomach. The song stopped and everybody stared t the girl. The moment the singing came to a halt, somebody sprang from within the giant cake, with their arms straight up.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIN-SAN!"

Dead silence.  
Sarutobi was wrapped in giant gift ribbon, covering all of her essential private areas, but with bondage rope over the wrap. Jaws dropped, including Gintoki's an Kagura actually did vomit. Nobody cared that the girl had though. Even the music stopped. Everything came to a halt. Well, until a sword came flying out of nowhere, and plunged into the wall behind Sarutobi as she ducked down.

"What... The fuck... Do you think... You're doing..?" Walking towards the woman, Rein did not stop until she had grasped the handle of her sword. Her head was down, and a shadow covered her entire face. She had listlessly walked over to Sarutobi and her perfect cake, still enraged that somebody would compete with her.

Frowning, Sarutobi crossed her arms.  
"I'm just giving Gin-San the present he deserves. That tiny little cake over there isn't even made for a birthday." The girl huffed.

Tightening her jaw, Rein snatched her sword from the wall and started to mercilessly swing at Sarutobi. The ninja leapt out of the way, and kicked the rolling cake at her. Side stepping the baked good, Rein lunged across the room, determined to at least cut her for her treason. Not that they had ever formed any sort of alliance, but it was still unacceptable.

Everybody crowded around, as Rein chased Sarutobi, and the Ninja threw multiple attacks towards her. Stars, and Kunai. When Sarutobi slipped on Kagura's vomit, Rein pounced on her, and the ninja managed to wrestle the sword away from her hands. A struggle ensued, Each woman rolling over the other, and throwing punches. The only sound that filled the air was the high-pitched screeches and arguing that could only be associated with a girl fight.

"OI! Bitch! Don't pull hair!" Rein commanded, smacking Sarutobi's head.  
"YOU! Don't hit the glasses, tramp!" She snapped back.

Nothing but gnashing of teeth, and claws. Clothes were ripped; women were too close for comfort. Gintoki walked beside the crowd, staring on in the same silence that had fallen over the crowd. Soon everybody started to cheer. Sarutobi kicked Rein off herself and into a table. Rein jumped back to her feet, and slammed the woman into a wall. Ducking down, Sarutobi avoided a fist, which cracked the wooden paneling where her head used to be. She charged into Rein, and pushed her towards the crowd. When the two fell, Rein punched the woman in the jaw, and pulled a random hatchet from god knows where. When did she pick that thing up?

After a few choice murmurs between him and his friends, Gintoki rushed to Rein and pulled her off Sarutobi.  
"Knock it off!" The man commanded, as she wrestled to get back to the ninja. The hatchet had fallen to the ground, and Rein tried to pry the man's forearms from around her.  
"Aren't you supposed to help me?! Go hold _her_ back! Damn it, Gin! Let go- We're not finished!"

"I think you are- If you stop now, then tonight we can-"  
Silence fell over the group, as Rein grew completely still. Her face flushed, as Gintoki murmured some choice words into her ear, and the woman lowered her gaze. His arms tightened around her, and she gripped the solid muscle restraining her torso. The woman shifted her gaze, and all studied the odd smirk on Gintoki's face. When the man released her, she remained in place, wide eyed, and long faced.

* * *

So the party resumes.  
Everybody was completely stunned by Gintoki's ability to defuse the situation with only a second of whispering what was bound to be obscene phrases to the woman. Of course, nobody wanted to know. Not at all. They did not even want to know why she remained in place, obviously embarrassed for a minute, twiddling her fingers. It was obvious that, she was trying to ignore the confused stares of all of the Yorozura's friends.

Rein retrieved and sheathed her blade, ignoring Sarutobi's shouts, which demanded she return to fighting. The woman briskly followed Gintoki, and stood at his side as he cut his cake.

"That's a weird relationship..." Otose stated, lifting a cigarette to her lips. Tama glanced at her, before returning her attention to the pair by the cake.  
"Possibly, but Master Gintoki appears to be happy." The android commented, earning a nod from Otose. Tsukuyo helped Sarutobi up, and offered to give her some real clothes. Everybody demanded their money back from the bets, yet Sougo proclaimed Rein won by default, because she had to be stopped.

Moments later Rein had walked to the man's side.  
"Okita... What is the code to that damn box you put my outfits in?" Crossing her arms, the woman, tried not to look at the sadist directly. He curiously peered at her, before a slight smile curled his lips.  
"Hobo-Chan. Spell it like you would text it."


	48. Kid?

"So Rein, you like kids?"  
Night had fallen, and a Gintoki, Rein, Dai, and Hijikata remained in the training room. They were having a few drinks, and chatting about the day's events. There was still an odd air surrounding Dai and Gintoki, but it was mostly ignored.

Turning to face Dai, Rein frowned.  
"Kids?"  
"Yeah, you know- Kids!" The man grinned, ignoring the curious frown he received from Gintoki.  
Sweeping her eyes over the clutter of decorations, and used cups and plates, Rein shrugged. Drunkenness had settled over the group. All wore a mask of listless confusion, and eager bladders.  
"Oh, well I guess... I almost had one of those things, ya know."  
"WHAT!?" Gintoki and Dai stared at the woman wide eyed, waiting for an explanation. Hijikata lit another cigarette, watching the events unfold. The vice commander knew exactly what she was talking about, and saw no problem with her statement. Because it made sense to him. Not so much to the other men.  
"Yeah, it was a boy. But the Papa didn't want it, he made me give it back." Rein nodded, crossing her arms, and lighting her own cigarette.  
"What?! Give it back?! Who was it?! How did you give it back to him? That's impossible!" Gintoki's voice seemed to have a mind of its own. He didn't mean to shout the words, but hearing that your girlfriend had been knocked up when you thought you were the only one... What the fuck?

"You mean Jun?" Hijikata asked, and Rein nodded. Attention shifted to the vice commander, an Gintoki's frown deepened. What did this bastard know? Why he speaking so nonchalantly about it? Rein had just announced a secret abortion of some mystery man's baby!  
"Jun?" The Yorozura asked, and Rein and Hijikata nodded.  
"Yeah, and _he_ didn't want him, right, Papa?" Rein asked, glaring at Hijikata. When the woman motioned to the vice commander, Gintoki's face fell. When had this happened? Why didn't he know about it?!

"He's the Papa?! It's him!? You did it?!" The man boomed, demanding his rightful answer. All peered up at him; Rein and Hijikata appearing to be confused. Dai had fallen deathly silent. 'It was just a question...' The thought jumped into Dai's mind, as he tried to find himself innocent of causing such a commotion. Giving Hijikata his death eye, Gintoki slowly bent towards Hijikata, making sure to convey every bit of wrath he felt. A dark shadow fell over his face as malicious thoughts swarmed his mind. The wrong answer would result in death.  
"Whadijja do to my girlfriend?" He growled the words, only to be ignored.

"Oh yeah, speaking of Jun, he's back in the lab now."  
"Mm, I hope he's okay." Rein murmured in response, and concern creased her brow. The boy had fallen ill, and was taken to the hospital to study his sickness. When the doctors found no cause, they had sent him home. Hijikata had been keeping her updated on the kid.

"OI! Don't ignore me! What kind of sick test tube child did you create?! What the hell are you-"  
"Ohhhh, you think I slept with Toshi!" Rein realized, finally understanding Gintoki's behavior. Hijikata immediately burst into laughter, coughing on the smoke he had previously inhaled. Scowling, Gintoki glared at the two as they laughed at him. What was so damn funny about his girlfriend sleeping with the Mayo freak?!

"Gin- Gin- I- We haven't-" Rein was now laughing too hard to even speak. She gripped her stomach, and slightly doubled over.

"Slept together! Dumb ass- She- She found that kid!" Hijikata completed, and Gintoki raised an eyebrow.  
"Found?"  
"Yeah- I was told to kill him, but I snuck him away!" Rein chuckled, and, Hijikata peered at her, still laughing.  
"Really?"  
"Yeah!"

Apparently, the idiots found everything funny at the moment. Crossing his arms, Gintoki sank back into his chair. It was just a misunderstanding. Rein was just speaking the language of vodka at the moment, and it lead him to believe... Ugggh, he did not even want to think of it. After a moment of continuous laughter from Rein and Hijikata, Dai tried to lighten the mood.

"SO- Kids... Rein, kids, are you two gonna have them?"  
Immediately falling silent, Rein glanced at Dai. Her eyes were wide, and she frowned in confusion.  
"Huh? ME?" Pointing at herself and Gintoki, Rein continued to look as though she had absolutely no idea what Dai spoke of.

"Yeah! You know- Settle down, reproduce, that sort of thing." The man nodded, and Rein glanced at Gintoki.

Snickering, the woman dismissively waved her hand.  
"HA! We couldn't' do anything like that! Not at all! I mean, have you even spoken to Gintoki before?! Get real!"  
"Me?! What's wrong with me?!"  
Gazing at the Yorozura, Rein's amused grin fell. He seemed genuinely upset. Why?

"Oh, well, you know. You just don't seem to be the type to want kids... Erm... Yeah. And I mean, look at us, we could never do anything like that- We would focus on the creating part, not the actual process."  
"Well maybe it's cause you shoved a sword in your damn stomach!"  
"Huh?"

"Yeah, Huh?" Dai added, and the group peered at him. Somehow, this had become an awkward conversation. It was unclear, when it happened, it just sort of did. Gintoki had been annoyed for most of it, and now Dai had to learn about Rein's little... Adventure?

"Yeah, this idiot tried to commit Seppuku." The vice commander stated.  
"Seppuku?" Dai asked only to receive nods from Gintoki and Hijikata. "Surely you mean Jigai?"  
"Nope, full-blown seppuku, at least; she tried. There's a reason it's reserved for men, you know! Didn't even tie her legs together..." Glaring at Rein, Gintoki sighed. What a handful this woman could be. Dai remained in place, shock consuming his features. Hijikata took a drag of his cigarette, and leaned back into his chair.

"What do you mean there's a reason it's for men? I could of done it if I wanted."

All peered at Rein, who was now mysteriously holding a dagger. A dark glimmer was in her eyes. The woman was scowling, as if she would prove a point. Jaw immediately dropping Gintoki stared at the woman.  
"What the hell are you doing?!"  
"I bet you two thousand yen I can do it right this time!" She declared, taking a large gulp of her drink.

In a matter of seconds, every man at the table had jumped to their feet. The knocked her chair back and started prying the knife away from Rein. It wasn't that she wanted to die; she wasn't suicidal, just wanted to prove she could if she tried. Gintoki's boot on her shoulder made it impossible to keep the knife though. Dai and Hijikata held her wrist, as Gintoki pried the blade away. So much for gambling and fun.

"Stop trying to kill yourself, damn it!" The Yorozura commanded finally able to snatch the dagger away. Rein sank to the floor, pouting.  
"It's not that serious... I was just gonna show you I know how..."  
"Dumb ass! Everybody knows how!" Snapping the words at Rein, Gintoki turned back to Dai, and Hijikata. Dai was awkwardly grinning, while the vice commander examined the dagger Rein had been holding.

"I'm taking this idiot to bed. She's a lightweight." The Yorozura sighed. The man gripped Rein's waist, and she curiously peered down at his hands.  
"Here? Really? You're just gonna do that in front of them?"  
Shaking his head Gintoki threw the woman over his shoulder. The other men watched the pair, as Rein grinned and waved bye. So cheerful. It was weird. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and soon the woman started tugging at the back of Gintoki's yukata.  
"Oi! Hold on, we're not even to the stairs yet!"  
"But Gin- you promised me-"  
"Shut up! Shut up! Don't say it so loud!"

The door closed, behind the pair. Hijikata and Dai exchanged curious glances, before moving back to the table.  
"Another round?" Dai asked, and the vice commander nodded.  
"What are we at now? Eight?"  
"Mmhmm."  
"Surprised Rein even made it this far." Hijikata snickered, and soon him and Dai were back to drinking.

* * *

**A/N: Hiiiiii!**  
**I just want to thank everyone for their reviews! You make me smile :)**  
**Also this is a bit of a drabble, but I thought the kid thing would be too good to resist. Kinda wanted Gintoki to be like WTF and yeah. So there ya go! More is comming, just gotta write it, lol.**  
**So yeah, that was in my brain... And now it's on the internet :D**


	49. Small Spaces

The sun was barely beginning to peek over the horizon as everybody finished packing their things. It was nice to have that small vacation, but now, members of the Yorozuya were itching to do something. Anything. As relaxing as it was, chaos was a part of their daily life, and they could not refuse the thought of returning.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay here. I appreciate it." Patting Dai on the shoulder, Rein gripped her small bag of clothes and other toiletries. Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi followed suit, offering their thanks as well. Of course, Dai just grinned, and asked them to come back again. Everybody who had shown up for his birthday was also leaving, and the group easily caught a ride with the Senshigumi. Apparently, they were lay, and rode in a small space ship. As annoyed as Gintoki was with the fact that he had to walk the entire distance to get there, he did not complain when offered a ride from Kondo.

Though an entire night had passed, Gintoki was also irritated with Rein. How dare she think he did not want kids! He would be an amazing dad one day! Complete with candy, Jump, and Calcium! She was obviously aware of his hostilities, but being the semi-bitch that she was so skilled at pretending to be, she paid him no mind. Kagura had to lay on Sadaharu to make room for everybody else. In the end, the small shuttle was packed like a tin of sardines. Shinpachi was practically sitting on Gintoki's lap. Rein was leaned against the wall, with her arms crossed. Hijikata and Sougo sat opposite of one another, and Kondo drove. Even Yamazaki was present. Gintoki had not gotten a chance to speak to him yet, because the spy had been busy talking to Tama when he was drunk. Apparently, those two really hit it off.

Happy to leave the crazy naked man in the cave behind, and forget about the crazy clue adventure he had been sent on, Gintoki scooted away from Shinpachi. Sougo peered at him oddly, yet did not comment on the man's undesired closeness. Everything was going fine until something wafted by.

An indecent smell.  
"Eww, who did that?!" Kagura shouted, eyeing the man behind her. For some reason the smell got alarmingly worse. Covering his nose Gintoki frowned at the people surrounding him. Only one person knew who had done it, but he was too stunned to speak. Shinpachi sat, frozen in place at the sight of Sadaharu's butt... In his face... The boy's hair fluttered with a gentle, foul breeze, and he immediately felt bile rise within him.

"It's not big enough to do that sort of thing in here! Why-"  
"It was you, wasn't it, you nasty bastard?!" Hijikata blamed Gintoki, who firmly refused.  
"Danaaa, that's so rude, you should commit seppuku"  
"ME?!"  
"No it was that idiot Sadist over there!" Kagura piped in. Shinpachi could not hold it any longer. He released his disgust the ground beside Sadaharu's hind legs. Not a single glance was spared on him though. Before Sougo could utter a response to Kagura's accusation, Kondo spoke up. The man barely glanced back at them from the controls of the ship.

"It's fine, don't worry. I'll just open the top hatch, and get some air in here!"  
The moment Kondo finished, Sougo spoke up.  
"It was probably that giant mutt."

Leaning up, Kagura glared down at Sougo.  
"What did you say?!"

"It was probably the mutt your laying on. You really need to clean that thing, it already stinks as is."

That was enough to send Kagura in to a fit of rage. The girl leapt off Sadaharu, and squeezed her way past Rein, and Hijikata. Walking around the giant dog, she immediately took to pulling Okita's face. He in turn started shoving her head back.  
"Oi! Cut it out! There's no space!" Gintoki shouted, trying to break the two apart. They were stepping all over his toes, and it was already an uncomfortable ride.

"Stupid- Sadist! I'm gonna-"  
"Give up, China girl, you're never- Gonna win."

When things seemed as though they could not get any worse, a loud snap sounded. All gazed at Kondo, who was awkwardly chuckling, and peering at the group over his shoulder.  
"Heh, Heh... Funny thing, I was trying to open the hatch, but this lever always gets stuck..." The man held a large black lever over his shoulder, and everybody but Sougo and Kagura's jaws dropped. If they hadn't been shoving each other's heads, it was possible that they could have shown how horrible that news sounded to them as well.

Giving up on Sougo, and Kagura, Gintoki jumped to Kondo's side.  
"Is there some duct tape?! You gotta fix it- it's getting worse!"

"Oi, Gin-San, I know why it's getting worse."  
Shinpachi's voice could not be heard over Kagura's bickering, and Sougo's light teasing. Hijikata move to Kondo's side, making the already cramped ship even worse. The man started trying to move the hatch switch without the lever.

"Uhh, Gin..."  
"Kagura-Chan..."

Rein, Yamazaki and Shinpachi exchanged worried glances though the Chaos. Shinpachi was pale, and obviously sick. The sight of the boy was enough to reveal the true source of the scent.

Then he screamed. All eyes snapped to Shinpachi, as the boy jumped to his feet, and stood on the small bench behind Sadaharu. He eased himself towards Kagura and Sougo, to avoid the oncoming ammunition.

"Hey, Sadaharu shits like a cow." Rein stated, sliding towards Gintoki and Hijikata.  
"Arf!"

Needless to say, hell broke loose.

Half an hour later, everybody was at the Senshigumi. Shinpachi had been forced to clean up behind Sadaharu, and Kagura was still glaring at Okita. Without a word, Rein had started away, knowing it would be best to leave Gintoki alone for a while. Gintoki and the kids returned to the Yorozuya, pleased to finally be home. Before they could fully settle in, there was a knock at their door. Shinpachi called out to the person, expecting Otose, or another round of attempted debt collection. Mush to his surprise, a man in a trench coat stood before him.

"This odd jobs, Gin-Chan?" He asked, lighting a large cigar. The man was tall, and appeared to be in shape, despite the fact that his jacket hid his true build. He had a small black brimmed hat on, which covered his eyes with a shadow. Slightly intimidated, Shinpachi nodded slowly.

"Good." The man stated, snapping his silver wind resistant lighter shut. Without another word, he pushed past Shinpachi and showed himself to the couch. Frowning in confusion, Shinpachi remained in place for a few seconds before turning and closing the door behind himself.  
"Gin-San!" The boy called, anxious to have the older man deal with the odd person who had practically showed him no respect.

"What is it?!" Gintoki called back from his room.  
"There-"  
"I got a job for you, that's what!" The shady man responded, cutting Shinpachi off. His voice was slightly hostile, and Shinpachi eyed him.

Soon, Gintoki's door opened, and he curiously peered at the man. It did not take long for Kagura to come down the hall and look at him too.

All three members on the Yorozuya remained in place, studying the odd character on their couch.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my goodness, where have I been?! It's been too long. **  
**Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **

**Ohh, creepy man- what do you think he's gonna do? O.o**  
**As always, thank you for your comments, and being so patient with me!**


	50. A Job

A shady character, seated on their couch. The smell of a cigar filled the air. Complete silence had fallen over the Yorozuya. Though everybody exchanged odd glances, they sat down around the man. He did not move, simply continued to nonchalantly puff on his smoke.  
"I've a job for you, and if you can accomplish it properly, the pay will be worth your while."

Suddenly interested, Gintoki placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward.  
"How much we talkin' here?"  
"How does one million Yen sound?" The man asked, and under the brim of his hat, a smirk formed on his lips.

Jaws dropped, and eyes widened.  
"O- One million!?" All asked in unison, and the man nodded. A wry smile replaced his smirk, and the man slowly nodded. He placed his ankle on his knee, and his elbows on the back of the couch. Excitement filled the room, in the form of incessant chatter. Mentions of Jump and strawberry milk. Sukonbu and pretty dresses; even paying off a family debt. When the group silenced, they turned back to the man, as if they had retaliated to discuss their options with one another. Their lack of hesitation pleased the man, and he calmly turned his head to steal another drag of smoke.

"So what do you need, Trench Coat? Aru" Kagura eagerly awaited the man's response, so anxious to hear their task that she had already given the man a nickname.  
"It's very simple." He stated, flipping his left palm up, while his right limply held his cigar.

"Well, I assure you that whatever it is, we can take care of it." Shinpachi smiled, and the man nodded once more. Though they were urging him to get to the point, the room fell silent. All motions stopped, and everybody stared at the man. They did not even know his name.

"Out with it, Andrew!" Gintoki barked, unable to handle the suspense. One million yen; what he could do with that! A low, slightly devious chuckle sounded, and the man leaned up. He straightened himself, before leaning towards Gintoki. Mirroring the man's stance, in a more dignified manner, the man placed his elbows on his knees. His shoes were firmly planted on the floor, as he had not taken them off. Lacing his fingers together, the man met Gintoki's eyes. Only one of his could be seen, and a slight frown creased the Yorozuya's brow. Something was wrong with this man... However, one million yen...

"As I said... It's simple..."

* * *

"A music box huh? Why would he pay so much for something like that?" Over an hour later, the group sat in front of the TV. The odd man had left, after giving them a quarter of their payment. Shinpachi walked to the kitchen and returned with dinner.

"Well, he said it was his old family heirloom. Real gold and jewels. Plus, with the family story." The boy offered a plate to Gintoki, and he eagerly took it.

"Yeah, but why would somebody kill his wife and kids to get something so stupid? Especially if they were asleep." Gintoki wondered out loud, before digging into his food.  
"Well, maybe it was just an evil lady! Aru. It doesn't matter- let's find the stupid box and get our money! Then, you can buy me all the sukonbu, and ice cream I want!" Laughing, Kagura took her plate from Shinpachi.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Kagura-Chan. We still need to find out who the woman was. Long black hair, and dark lips... Doesn't that sound familiar?" Sitting down beside Kagura, Shinpachi glanced at the TV.

"Who cares? Let's just look for the first woman carrying a sword, and chase her down!"  
Both teenagers peered at Gintoki and slowly nodded. Nevertheless, something was wrong. Between that shady man, and women with swords, an uneasy air had settled over the group. Gintoki seemed to be oblivious to it though. Shinpachi and Kagura exchanged worried glances as the silver haired samurai started to flip through channels on the TV.

* * *

First thing in the morning, Gintoki took Sadaharu out. Kagura was sleeping, and the dog had been whining for over an hour. It was still dark, yet the chill of a new day had set in. Sighing, the man blankly stared at the sky as he walked down an ally. His grip on the doggie bag tightened as he thought about his newest job. The man had given him a week to find a lead. He had also stated that even if he couldn't his first half of the payment would not be retracted; as a token of appreciation for his efforts.

Gintoki did know a woman with dark hair and blood lips. The description he had been given only furthered his speculations.  
_"A goddess of death; graceful with her blade, and cruel with her words. A permanent scowl, unless she successfully killed. Then she would smirk, or snicker." _The man had said.

Who did he know like that? Could it be-  
"Oi! Don't let that monster shit right there!"  
Glancing to his right, Gintoki focused his dead eyes on some random man in an apron. He was standing in the doorway of the back of a restaurant. A large blue dumpster was behind the door, and it became apparent that he had come outside to dump the trash.  
"Calm down, it's fine. I have a bag."  
Holding up his doggie bag, Gintoki glanced at Sadaharu. The dog happily barked, and licked his face. At least that thing was cute. Otherwise, Gintoki would not be caught dead picking such a large pile of... Droppings up.


	51. Proof

Squeals of delight filled the air, as Gintoki lead Rein to a large park. There were a few separate playgrounds, all of which were filled with children. At first, the woman had not wanted to come with him. She said something about finding a job, but Gintoki insisted she show. Since he was stalling work, she could do the same. The two silently walked along a park path, observing the playing kids. If she thought he would let her get away with thinking he was bad with children she had another thing coming. Gintoki would make her eat those words. And hopefully something else later, but for now- He had a pocket full of cheap lollipops. It was just a matter of waiting for a kid to get close enough.

The sun provided much needed warmth between cool gusts of winds, and not a single cloud was in sight. Straying from the white concrete path, the two started across the grass. In a matter of seconds, they were seated on a bench facing the playground.  
"What are we-"  
"Shh." Okay maybe it sounded more like Gintoki was hunting, but he did not want to explain himself to Rein. She needed to shut up and go along with what he was doing. The woman sighed, and crossed her arms, obviously not wanting to be there. The man glanced at her, noting the fact that she was not even trying to conceal her disinterest. Well, it was not exactly a date or anything, but she would have to get over it.

"Damn it, at least try to look happy or something. I'm taking the day off to spend time with you." Grumbling the words, Gintoki nudged Rein with his elbow. The woman shot him an annoyed glare, and pulled a cigarette from the pocket of her black yukata.  
"There are kids around, at least wait until later."  
Sighing, Rein bit down on the filter between her lips.  
"Yeah, well whose fault is that? I certainly didn't jump out of bed and prance to the nearest child infested park of my own free will."

Okay, so children put Rein on edge. Gintoki rolled his eyes, and snatched the cigarette away. After breaking it, and throwing the useless smoke to some unknown location, the man shoved his finger in his nose.  
"Shut up, stupid. I could be finding a damn music box for a million yen right now, but I'm here. Now-"  
"Music box?" An alarmed scowl took the woman, yet Gintoki did not even look at her. The man rolled his fingers together, and flicked the tiny object away. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop.  
"Yeah. Here, watch this." Inconspicuously unwrapping the lollipop in his hand Gintoki grinned, and shoved it into his mouth. Seconds passed, and Rein's scowl deepened.  
"Why am I watching you eat candy? You always-"  
"Shut up!"

Gintoki would not let her ruin his moment. This had been carefully planned out. It didn't even take a minute before a kid walked up to the pair.  
"Oi, Mister, Can I have a lollipop too?" It was a young boy, dressed in a dull green yukata. Gintoki flashed Rein a smug grin, before returning his attention to the kid.  
"Of course!" Reaching into his pocket, the Yorozuya produced a similar bit of candy. It was red like his, and he handed it to the kid. A wide grin squinted the child's eyes, revealing his lack of one of his front teeth. As the kid unwrapped the candy Gintoki ruffled his brown hair; grinning at Rein the whole time.

The boy skipped back to the playground, and Rein narrowed her eyes at Gintoki.  
"Anybody can lure kids over with candy. What's that supposed to prove?"  
The man's brow furrowed, and he glared at Rein.  
Before he could find a good come back, two more kids approached him.

"Hey, old man, can we have some lollipops too?" This time, one of the kids was a girl, with pretty, straight blond hair.  
"Oi, I'm not old!" Though he was trying to sound nice, Gintoki could not conceal his annoyance.  
Rein started to snicker and he shot her a warning glare.  
"But why is your hair silver?" The girl asked, and her little friend (Who was a boy) nodded in agreement.  
"I was born like this damn it!" After grumpily shouting the words, Gintoki shoved two lollipops at the kids. Rein was now laughing at his irritation, and the kids happily pranced away.

Still annoyed, Gintoki wanted to yell at her too, but her smile was enough to make the man exhale his frustration. Turning to her, he wagged his finger as if he would chastise the woman. She stopped, still grinning, and Gintoki tightened his jaw.  
"You probably thought I was going to shout at you, but I didn't, 'cause you're cute."

The words caused the smile to fall from her face, and she immediately shifted her gaze. Why would he say something like that? She did not know how to respond, but her blush spoke loudly enough. Now a small group of kids came, all asking for lollipops like the others. Standing up, Gintoki reached into his pockets and produced enough to divide amongst them. Before the man could sit back down, he was being ushered towards the play ground.

"Push me on the swing!"  
"No, help me across the monkey bars!"  
"I want another lollipop, I don't want the green one!"

Rein watched as Gintoki was ushered away by a sea of children. Before he could reach the playground, the man turned around.  
"Don't be picky! Appreciate the color you got!"  
"No! I don't like it!"  
Grumbling under his breath, Gintoki started digging through his pocket. He only found green though. He didn't have any more red of blue. When the kid realized his lack of choice, he kicked Gintoki in the shin.  
"Ah! Damn it!" Falling over, the Yorozuya drowned in the multiple kids as they all jumped on him and grabbed him. It was not exactly aggressive, more like hundreds of tiny hands, all pulling him in different directions.

'Huh, he really is good with kids. He even lets them hit him."

Watching from afar, Rein snickered as Gintoki managed to get on his feet. Kids were hanging off his arms, and legs, refusing to let him go. There were even a few perched on his shoulders.  
"Okay, the swings? And the monkey bars? You gotta take turns! Oi! Stop shoving!"

He was really going to play with them all. A small smile curled Rein's lips t the realization that the man would probably make a good dad in the long run. He was already pretty cute with tens of kids clutching his arms, of course Rein would never consider having that many, but cute nonetheless.

A woman with a stroller sat beside Rein on the blue bench. When she peered at the woman, she found that she was pregnant, and had twins in the stroller. Long blond hair was swept into a loose bun, and a few stray strands clung to her skin. She was panting slightly, and pulled one of the babies out of the stroller. After catching Rein's curious gaze, the woman offered a wide smile.

"I hope you don't mind, I just need to rest for a few minutes... The doctor told me to exercise, so I'm trying to get out more."  
Slowly nodding, Rein averted her gaze. The woman reached into a large bag tucked under the stroller. She pulled a bottle from the bag, and started to feed one of the babies.

"Is that your husband? He looks like a great father- playing with all of the kids like that."  
Glancing at Gintoki, Rein found him running around and pushing three swings at once. All of the kids were laughing maniacally.  
"Er, no. He's just... Well, I guess my boyfriend... We uh... He's trying to prove a point."

Nodding, the woman leaned back onto the bench. Before she could speak again, her other child started to cry. Putting the first down, she grabbed the second, only to have the first join the chorus.

An exhausted sigh parted the woman's lips, and Rein glanced at her.  
"Oh my, calm down you two... I only have two arms..." She softly murmured the words, and Rein quickly averted her gaze.

"Uh... I could... Help... I guess..."  
When the woman's gaze settled on Rein, she looked away. Soon, the woman offered her thanks, and handed Rein the child in her arms and a bottle. The picked the second up, and pulled another bottle out.  
"You're really stiff. You must not have any kids... Here hold her like this..."  
Rein had been holding the kid up, and staring at it like it was an alien. She did not know what to do. How could she? The woman corrected her positioning, and soon, Rein was cradling the kid, and feeding it.

"So you two want to know if you'd be good parents?" The woman asked, once the two kids had quieted down. Rein did not know how to respond. She simply stared at the lady, wide eyed. A light chuckle parted the woman's lips, and she nodded.

"It's okay. I understand. Everybody's scared at first. You just have to trust yourself. You're already doing well. And him- Well, he looks like he has experience."

Both women looked at Gintoki who was now holding a kid up to the monkey bars so he could climb across. Silence fell over the two, as Gintoki was engaged in a game of tag. He really was trying. The kids swarmed around him, and he scooped one up, as if it was flying.

Yeah. Rein had to admit, he was cute.  
"He'd be a great dad." The woman confirmed, and Rein peered at her.  
"And you'd be a good mom too. Look, she's already about to fall asleep."  
Gazing at the kid she was holding, Rein found the woman right.

From where he was standing, Gintoki glanced at Rein. She was curiously rocking some random baby, with a pregnant woman grinning and chatting with her. Once you got past the swords of death, and constant scowling, even she could look like a mother, who knew? A tug at his pants reminded the man he was in the process of swinging kids around on his arms. Okay, he could do this. While the children were climbing up his back and hanging off him, he caught Rein's gaze. She offered him a wide smile, which he returned with softer expression. They wouldn't be too bad after all.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! An update! Finally! Hope you all enjoyed the new chapter.  
****Strawberry Wrath- Hiii, long time huh? Glad to see you're back, and hope all is well :)  
The story will be coming to an end soon, but a lot is gonna happen before that, so there will be plenty more adventure.**

**Piazo- Wow, I didn't even realize that! Thank you for pointing it out! I think it's because when I first started writing, I saved the wrong spelling, and it auto-corrects. That really is just like, "Why?" Smh. But I'll make sure to fix that when I go back and edit all the chapters! I'm glad you like the fict though, thank you for taking the time to read it! :)  
**

**And I want to thank everybody for their reviews, and being so patient with my newer lazy updates. lol Special thanks to Noniebee (4352183) for helping think of Gins interactions with the kids :) She's awesome, you should checke out her stories "Reuniting with the lost" (8747858), and "Reuniting makes new beginnings" (9130939) It's a really good Gintoki/Oc story :D  
**


	52. Procrastination

After a long morning of sleeping in, and ignoring Shinpachi, Gintoki was ready to try to find the music box. He had been spending his time gambling and drinking, hoping to quadruple the amount he had, yet only succeeding in doing the exact opposite. The man lazily walked into the bathroom for a shower, still acting as though Shinpachi was not nagging him. So what if he wanted to gamble? He was an adult- he had the right to do as he pleased.

"And you two are ridiculous! There's nothing but milk and sukonbu in the refrigerator! How am I supposed to cook with that?! Give me enough for groceries, Gin-San! OI! Open this door!" The kid yelled, and Gintoki sighed. The water to the shower was already running. He had already removed his clothes, and was ready to step in. Groaning in annoyance the man turned to the door. Where was his wallet? Maybe in his clothes from the night before...

Grabbing a towel, Gintoki wrapped it around his waist and walked out of the bathroom.  
"Finally! How long were you planning to ignore me?! I've been talking to you for an hour now!"

"Then shut up!" Gintoki snapped before walking into his room. His head was pounding. The worst hangover of his life was quickly claiming the man and for once he wished his room did not have bright natural lighting pouring through the windows. Scratching his head, the man searched the floor for the proper outfit. It took a few minutes before he found his wallet, and when he did he snatched a few bills from the leather pouch. As he walked back to the shower, he shoved the money at Shinpachi, noting that Kagura was watching cartoons with Sadaharu at the moment. The TV was too loud but he just didn't feel like saying anything.

"Five hundred yen?! That's all?! GIN-SAN! I can't even buy a good bowl of ramen with this!"  
Growling under his breath, Gintoki grabbed more and gave the boy that. Shinpachi seemed satisfied, and left the man to take his shower. Damn leeches.

The moment Gintoki was finished, he slowly dressed himself and moved to the kitchen. Only strawberry milk could help him now. Nothing else would make him feel better. Nothing. He grabbed a carton, and walked to the couch, trying to tune out the blaring cartoons. Kagura glanced at him, before returning her attention to the TV.

"What's wrong with you? Aru"  
"Graaaa, my head..." Gintoki groaned, and the Yato girl nodded. Sadaharu walked to the man's side as Gintoki laid down. In a matter of seconds the dog had latched onto his head. Kagura glanced over at them again, before grinning. Gintoki did not move. He couldn't. While it didn't help to have teeth digging into his skull, fending them off would do more damage. Minutes passed, and the man glanced at Kagura.

"Oi... Get this mutt off of me."

"He's just trying to make you feel better. Aru" The girl responded.

Scowling Gintoki shook his head.  
"Well it's not working! Get him off!"  
"But Gin-Chan! He loves you!"  
"Damn it!" He had to do everything himself. With one heavy fist, Gintoki smacked the dog's nose. Sadaharu retreated, and the man sat up.  
"And turn that damn TV down! This isn't a concert! The room isn't a stadium! It doesn't need to be that loud!" Snatching the remote from the girl, Gintoki lowered the volume, despite her protests.

"But how am I gonna hear when the turtle goes 'Kukukukukuu~'?! I wanna hear the turtle! Every time he shoots somebody he says 'Kukukukukuu~' and I wanna-"  
"What the hell kind of cartoon are you watching?! Turtles can't use guns! They don't even have fingers!" Gintoki snapped

"But Gin-Chan!"

Sighing the man turned the volume up by one bar.  
"If it's too loud, the old hag might try to collect the rent, and then the Amanto will win. Then they'll come and take you away, because they love to experiment on brats who love cartoons. Do you want that?" Glancing at the girl Gintoki was met with wide, excited eyes.  
"Really? Oh no! I've been watching this all day! I didn't know! You humans are so weird, but thank you Gin-Chan! Aru"

Well, that didn't make sense, but okay. He won. Wonderful. Now he just needed to wait for Shinpachi to come back and make breakfast.

* * *

An hour later the boy returned with multiple bags, and a smile. He mentioned a sale at the store, and said he was able to buy meat. The moment Gintoki and Kagura heard the work "Meat" They jumped into sitting positions.

"Real meat?" Kagura asked, and Shinpachi nodded.  
"Like beef? Chicken? Not just fish, but REAL?" Gintoki added, and Shinpachi nodded once more. In a matter of seconds, Gintoki and Kagura had run into the kitchen. It was Christmas morning (or at least it felt like it). The rummaged through the shopping bags, finding everything they could only dream of. Fruit, sweets, fancy tea, vegetables, and the meat. It was the holy grail of shopping, and soon to be their meal. Shinpachi ignored them as they filled the kitchen with squeals of delight.

"Sweet dumplings!" Gintoki proclaimed grabbing the fresh plastic sealed wrap.  
"It even has the coconut sauce!" He added, grinning. Suddenly his hangover didn't seem that bad.  
"Give me one, Gin-Chan! I wanna eat one!" Kagura piped in, and Gintoki scowled at her over his shoulder.  
"No! Find something else to eat!"

"I'm about to cook breakfast, you two. Don't ruin your appetites."

Ignoring Shinpachi, Gintoki ripped into the package, and started shoving the dumplings into his mouth. Kagura was reahing over his back, trying to sway the man. And then she started to cry. Gintoki and Shinpachi froe, and turned to face the girl

"I- I want to eat the dumplings too! B- B- Back on my planet- I was never allowed to!" The man's eyes widened, and his defensive stance faltered as Kagura wiped her eyes.

"'No' They would say- A- A- Girl shouldn't eat foods like this! You- You should eat the pickled- The pickled Ume! So I- I never got to eat them! Then my friends wouldn't play with me- cause they all got to eat the dumplings!"

Completely turning to face the girl, Gintoki stared at her as she bawled her heart out. That was so sad. Pickled plums, instead of dumplings... And here he was, being all human, and eating them all before she could... Sighing, the man dipped one of the dumplings into the sweet coconut sauce. He offered it to Kagura, and she fell silent. Her eyes widened, and she stared at the food.  
"Huh?" The girl asked, peering up at the man. A shadow had fallen over Gintoki's eyes, as he held the dumpling up.  
"Come on, hurry up and eat it. You may not have been able to have dumplings back home, but you can at least have the last one in this home." The man stated in a low voice.

A wide hopeful grin took the girl, and excitement danced through her features.  
"R- Really Gin-Chan? You would do that for me?!"  
Shifting his gaze, Gintoki urged the girl to take the dumpling.  
"It's not for you. It's for every Yato girl, as rare as they may be, who had been forced to eat pickled ume over dumplings. Eat this for them."

Tears sprung back into Kagura's eyes, as she nodded.  
"Thank you, Gin-Chan!"  
Shinpachi watched as Gintoki extended the dumpling once more. Kagura was grinning so hard, he suspected her cheeks would fall off. The girl leaned towards the dumpling, and bit the entire thing.

Gintoki froze. His jaw tightened as he hear the chuckle. Snatching away from Kagura, the man knocked her on the head.  
"Oww! Damn it! I said eat the dumpling not my finger!"  
Holding up his hand, Gintoki stared at the red bite mark. It throbbed as if it had a life of its own, and the man watched as Kagura held her head.  
"And what's with that fucking laughing!? I just-"  
"Kukukukuu~ I got the last dumpling!" The girl declared, grinning and sticking her tongue out.

Gintoki's head began to boil, at the sight of Shinpachi's amused grin, and Kagura's smug smirk. Clenching his fists, Gintoki tried to contain his anger; unsuccessfully.

"Grrr, BRAT!"

The next half hour, the apartment was filled with Gintoki chasing Kagura. Disregarding the two, Shinpachi continued to cook. Hopefully after breakfast, they would get out and look for that music box.


	53. Investigation

After a long morning and break from the story, the members of the Yorozuya embarked on the tedious quest for the music box they had been hired to find. An impossible amount of time was wasted on the walk to a nearby pawn shop. It took so long that Gintoki insisted on stopping by two different shops for parfait and dango. It took five whole minutes. Shinpachi had cooked breakfast, but there was always more room for sweets. The streets were crowded with random people; going about their equally random daily tasks. While the group walked, Gintoki paid them no mind. His headache hadn't had enough time to subside. Shinpachi spouted his usual positive crap, which Gintoki had no interest in hearing. The boy was saying that a single music box wouldn't be that hard to find. Gintoki refrained from telling him that the city was large, and there were bound to be multiple music boxes that looked alike.

Gintoki's head hurt so badly that he had randomly turned into Ginpachi in the previous chapter, yet that had been fixed... The group stopped by a total of three shops altogether, yet received no hint at the location of the music box. Kagura enjoyed the time they spent walking, and used it to observe the many strange humans around them. She had been forced to leave the sweets shop they had entered only a moment ago. The Yato had made sure to greedily wolf down any edible items within arm's length of her while Gintoki was dragging her out of the door. Not even two minutes later, they came across another old shop.

It seemed to be the most reasonable place to look. One more stop wouldn't hurt. From the outside, it appeared to be a dingy old hole-in-the-wall type store. Inside it appeared to be a dingy old hole-in-the-wall type store. Huh... That was somewhat surprising; most stores like that at least have an amazing interior design or something... The moment they walked into the dull little shop, a large elderly woman greeted them from behind a wooden counter. It was covered in a thick layer of dust which floated into the air with her every breath. She didn't care to raise her gaze from an open magazine.

The elder was fully transfixed with what Gintoki assumed to be descriptions of the season's hottest lipstick shades, or an article about false eyelashes. It was only an assumption, yet the man was positive he was right; she wore a leopard print shirt and bright red pants, which were visible through an empty glass display under the counter. Her hair was fixed into an odd bump-like thing which none of the group cared to attempt naming. Gintoki offered a lazy wave, and set his expressionless gaze on the woman for a split second.

"Hello!" Shinpachi returned her greeting as Kagura curiously eyed the woman. The Yato chose to trail behind Gintoki, instead of following the skinny, cheerful kid to the counter. The pair of glasses walked to the counter, as Gintoki ambled around the small wooden shop. He didn't see anything like a flashy music box. All that he found was old miserable little pieces of jewelry and fluff.

"Excuse me, we're looking for-"  
As Shinpachi spoke, the elderly woman glanced up and started to scream. Jumping in surprise, the members of the Yorozuya snapped their gaze to her. Shinpachi held his hands up as if showing his palms would calm her down. She seemed genuinely fearful. The elder had started to stumble around the small space behind the wooden counter. Her words were indecipherable, and the outburst caught the attention of all. They frowned at Shinpachi, as he repetitively asked the woman what was wrong.

"OI! Patsuan, What'd you do to her?!" Gintoki's head reacted to the shrill tone by adding more ache into the mixture.  
"NOTHING!" Shinpachi defended.

"Is that Human broken? Do they all do that when they get that old?" Kagura asked, and Gintoki rolled his eyes.  
"I didn't do anything!" Shinpachi insisted once more.

Shaking his head, Gintoki hurried to the screaming woman. He stopped at Shinpachi's side, and frowned down at the boy.  
"You're bullying old women now? Didn't I raise you better than that?!" As he spoke, Gintoki smacked the back of Shinpachi's head. Before Shinpachi could respond, the woman's words grew clearer.

"Help! The Silver-Haired Maniac is here! He's going to rob me next! Call the Shinsengumi!"

Confusion settled over the group, and they all fixed their gaze on the woman.

"Huh?" The trio asked in unison. Without offering an explanation, the woman continued to panic and Gintoki pointed a finger at himself.  
"Me?" He asked; striving to understand. The woman went berserk.

"Oh my _god_, he's talking to me! He's got a sword! Somebody! Stop him!"  
Without warning, a metal bat was flung at Gintoki's head. It smacked his forehead, and Kagura and Shinpachi watched as the man fell backwards.

"OI! CRAZY! WATCH WHERE YOU THROW THAT THING! Yelling so loudly only succeeded in furthering Gintoki's headache. Clearly, the woman had dementia. Gintoki pushed himself from the floor, and the woman continued to scream that he was going to rob her. Irritation rippled through the man. Well, more irritation than before. And being whacked with a metal bat didn't help one bit.

Kagura walked to the man's side as he stood up. Gintoki grumbled a few choice words under his breath as he rose to his feet.

"Bitch is crazy... Damn time for this... Smack her in the head with a-"  
"Erm- Gin-San, maybe you should let us handle this one..."

Glaring at Shinpachi, Gintoki sighed. Maybe it was best that he did leave... The man nodded and soon he was headed for the door. He needed something for his headache anyway. As the Samurai left, Kagura and Shinpachi watched the elderly woman. She paused, and glanced at the door before fixing her gaze on them.

"Whew! You youngsters really saved me there! I don't know what I would have done if all my valuables had been stolen, and that psychopath violated me!"

Frowning, the teenagers exchanged confused glances. The deep end had been gone off; long ago. Pastel lipstick twisted in a worried pout, yet received no sympathy. It didn't make sense for somebody to think that Gintoki was some sort of serial rapist-burglar. He never did anything like that, and if he did, he was really good at hiding it... Shinpachi wondered if the elder had been referring to the dust or the lint. Which was the most valuable? Nothing else seemed as it could be considered such.

"Eh, you said the... Uh, Silver-Haired Maniac was going to rob you?"Carefully speaking the words, Shinpachi tried not to stare at the woman as if she had ten heads and one of them was eating another.  
"Oh yes." The woman nodded. Worry creased her brow, and the foundation-coated wrinkles on her face formed deep canyons.

"He's been hitting up every pawn shop in the Kabuki district for some sort of music box. Said it was golden; covered in jewels. Some kinda family heirloom, but why would it be in small shops like this?"

Odd glances were exchanged once more, and Kagura decided to continue pressing the woman.

"Yes... We are looking for one like that too..."  
"How do you know about the box? Do you know where it is?" Shinpachi completed, and the woman frowned.

"Don't you lot watch the news? That man is crazy! You shouldn't be helping him- What would your mothers say if they knew that their babies were hanging out with a delinquent?"

Shaking his head, Shinpachi mirrored the woman's expression.  
"Gin-San is not a delinquent... He helps people... He'd never hurt or rob anybody..."  
Kagura nodded in agreement, yet the boy's words were met with an unconvinced raise of the elder's eyebrow. Before she could start what was bound to be an hour-long lecture about being young and gullible, Kagura spoke.

"Tell us where this box is, Aru."  
It was obvious that that wasn't going to get her anywhere. Interrupting the woman before she could respond, Shinpachi thought quickly. It was about time that he could do something.

"Actually Ma'am, we're here to do a report on the robberies. We want to know what the thief is looking for. This is a big story; the news is all over it."  
Glancing at the boy, Kagura frowned. That was brilliant. His expression wasn't exactly convincing, but she could play along.

"Yeah! We need to know all about that box, and where it could be! This is your chance for fame! Uh... Let us set up the cameras! You'll be famous like that dog that got shot in the backyard after rescuing that human from the well-"  
"Erm, that's not exactly a good reference, Kagura-Chan..." Cutting the girl off before she could make it any worse, Shinpachi turned back to the elder behind the counter. Surprisingly her expression had changed from an accusatory frown to a large grin.  
"Really? Famous?!"

Nodding, Kagura peered around the store. She pulled a used bendy straw from the counter, and pointed the mouth end at the woman.

"The cameras rolling. Go ahead. Aru"  
"That's a camera?" Frowning, the woman tilted her head. Shinpachi awkwardly peered at the Yato before nodding. He scratched his head, and forced a grin.  
"Yeah... It's uh... Portable..."

Kagura enthusiastically nodded in agreement and ducked behind the straw as if she was taking pictures.  
"This is your good side! The perfect angle!" She declared, and the woman placed her hands to her cheeks. She nodded, and her lips formed an O as she stared at the 'Camera' with wide eyes. As Kagura pretended to take pictures, Shinpachi started the questioning.

"So, uhh... What do you know about the music box?"

After a slight pause, the old woman grinned at Kagura. The Yato was making clicking sounds with her mouth.  
"There's been some rumors about it! Last anyone saw it, a woman with dark hair was looking for a price quote! She had an old sword, and gray eyes... Oh, and Sakura-Chan down the street said she was really scary looking! But she didn't sell it though. It was worth a lot, but she just nodded and walked away!"

The teenagers frowned and locked their eyes to the other's. Every time they heard a description of the culprit, they thought of one woman. But it couldn't be. Kagura continued to click, and Shinpachi nodded.

"Okay... And the, uh... Robber?"  
"He's been asking all the pawn shops about it! When they say they don't have it, he takes all their merchandise! Like he doesn't believe them, or something. Everyone says he had curly white hair- that man was definitely him!"

Shinpachi's brow furrowed, and he slowly nodded.

"I always knew he would come here! We have some of the best quality items in town! You tell all your reporter friends that my shop was the only one that could fend him off, okay?"  
Once more, Shinpachi offered a slow nod to the woman's enthusiastic tone. Kagura paused, and peered at him. A shift of the boy's gaze signaled that they were finished. He couldn't think of anything else to ask. His mind was too wrapped up in finding the culprit. Both of them.

Murmuring a small "thanks", Kagura lowered the straw and started from the store. When Shinpachi didn't follow, the Yato grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him behind herself. The boy allowed himself to be dragged away. Clearly, he was thinking the same thing as the Yato.

* * *

Once outside, the pair skimmed over the street for Gintoki. He was nowhere to be found. Figuring that the man went to a drug store, the pair started down the street. They were bound to bump into him eventually. Kagura turned to Shinpachi, and worry played on her features. The boy returned her gaze as they pushed through the crowded streets.

"Shinpachi-Kun... You don't think Eyebrow-Chan..?"  
Averting his eyes, Shinpachi stared at the various people around them.

"I don't know..." He answered honestly.

Both teens remained silent as they searched for their leader. They walked through the crowded streets and glanced over each head of hair in the distance. Silver, was what they were looking for. Minutes passed, and over the lively buzz of multiple conversations, familiar voices caught their attention.

"Damn it, I told you already! I was at the casino! Stupid, you know I'm not a burglar!"  
"Shut up, Sugar Freak! Where the hell did you get money to gamble with?!"  
"I got a JOB!"  
Gintoki and Hijikata.

Quickening their pace, Kagura and Shinpachi strained to locate the man. Constant bickering led them to an alleyway beside a drug store. The kids found Gintoki with his palms against a brick wall; Hijikata was patting him down. Both men glared at one another the entire time.

"Oh yeah? A job? What is it; breaking into pawn shops and scaring the life out of innocent old ladies? I knew it was you when I heard the description!"  
"Idiot! It's NOT me! Get offa me! I know my rights! I know you're just trying to feel me up, creep!"

Immediately defensive; the vice commander snatched a small plastic square from Gintoki's pocket, and snapped a response at the man.  
"I'll feel you up alright; with the bumper of my car!"  
"You already have! With your hands!" Gintoki barked back.  
"Shut up!, What the hell is this, huh? What were you gonna do with this?! Where'd you get this?!"

Obviously irritated, Gintoki whipped around to face the vice commander. He snatched the packet away, and a vein could be seen popping out of his neck.  
"It's medicine, idiot! We're out side of a pharmacy! I have a headache! _Hopefully, when I take it, you'll go away..._" The last part was a mere mumble, and Gintoki quickly opened the packet. He tore into the plastic square, and popped two clear blue pills into his mouth. Hijikata glared at him as he did, and Gintoki mirrored the expression. Shinpachi and Kagura stepped past the Shinsengumi van that blocked the alleyway. They started towards the two; both frowning in confusion. Seriously? Gintoki was a suspected burglar?

Sougo could be seen, eating a lollypop in the passenger seat of the van. He appeared to be minding his own business for the most part. The sandy haired captain had headphones in his ears; he was in his own little world.

"Look, you're coming to the station with me. We gotta hold you until we figure this out." Sighing, Hijikata gazed at Gintoki. The silver haired samurai prevented his jaw from dropping, yet annoyance still seeped through his veins.  
"What?! How long will that take?" The words were snapped at the vice commander, but it didn't seem to faze him. He pulled a cigarette from his coat, as if nothing was wrong with the situation.

"How should I know? A week, a month; crime doesn't have a schedule."

Before the men could continue, Kagura interrupted. She grabbed Hijikata's black sleeve, and tugged at his arm.  
"Don't take Gin-Chan to jail! He's too young for that! They'll do horrible things to him in there!" Despite the pleading tone, Hijikata snatched away from the Yato's grasp.

"Get off me! Don't interfere with the law! I'll take you in too! Have a little respect!"

As the man yelled, Shinpachi blankly peered down the alley way.  
"Erm..."  
"At least the idiot with the perm accepted it! You don't see him crying or whining!"  
Hijikata continued, and Kagura shook her head. She proclaimed Gintoki's innocence, yet Shinpachi was still frowning at the alley.  
"Uh, well... We're gonna go now... You have fun with that..." Grabbing Kagura's sleeve, the boy started to tug her back the way they came.  
"No!" She cried, but it was too late. Hijikata had turned to Gintoki, only to find the man at the end of the alley; climbing over a chain link fence.  
"OI! Perm head! Get back here!" The vice commander started towards him, and Gintoki grinned at him. He offered a slight, teasing wave and hopped to the opposite end of the fence.

Hijikata called after him, yet the man dashed away. Kagura and Shinpachi started in the opposite direction as the vice commander rushed after Gintoki.  
"Sougo! Go to the other side of the alley! Cut him off!"  
It was unclear, as to whether the teenager heard him or not, but the vice commander knew he had to catch his suspect.

He hoisted himself over the fence and chase Gintoki out of the alley and onto the street. The van hadn't even started yet; Sougo didn't move to help.

"Give up Yorozuya! You can't get away! I know where you live!"

Glancing back, Gintoki increased his pace. He darted across the street and narrowly avoided being run over. Gintoki hopped over the hood of a car; leaving Hijikata to deal with traffic. As the vice commander waited for an opportunity to follow, Gintoki rushed into another alley. His heart started to pound from the exertion and his headache, which had almost left, threatened to return with unmatched wrath. Hijikata's footsteps could be heard behind him as Gintoki hopped another fence, and emerged on the opposite side of yet another block.

"Keep running Gin-Chan!"  
A voice from above cheered the man on, and he gazed up; only to find Kagura and Shinpachi hopping over the rooftops. The teens were trailing beside him, instead of returning home.

"What the hell are you doing up there?! Stop giving away my position!" Shouting back at the teens, Gintoki entered another alley. A dead end. Panting behind him signaled that he'd been caught. Shit.

"G- Give up... Yoro- Zuya..."

Turning around, Gintoki found Hijikata. The vice commander was leaning against a corner made of bricks. His hand rested on his knee as he stared at the Samurai.  
"Damn it, aren't you a smoker?! What the hell?! You shouldn't be able to keep up with me! You were just like a mile away!" Trying to catch his breath as well, Gintoki frowned at the man.

"It's the end of the line..."  
No sooner than he had spoken, the Shinsengumi van appeared behind him. Sougo rolled the window down, and Gintoki saw him take aim with his rocket launcher.

A click triggered Hijikata's instincts, and the man dropped to the ground as an explosive whizzed by his head. Gintoki dashed by him and out of the alley as the vice commander ducked. Further noise indicated that the vice commander was in the clear. He jumped to his feet; immediately angered.

"Damn it Sougo!" Whipping around to face the Captain, Hijikata scowled.  
"Shoot... I missed..." The sandy haired captain placed his over-sized gun down, and rolled the window up; completely ignoring Hijikata.  
"What the hell were you aiming at?! You helped that bastard get away!"  
"Did I?" Sougo murmured the words as the window was sealed, and Hijikata huffed in frustration. As the man started after Gintoki, two heavy weights crashed into his back. He was knocked to the ground, and all he saw was Kagura and Shinpachi running after Gintoki.

"Hurry Gin-Chan! Protect your anus from the law! Aru!"  
"I don't think you should say something like that Kagura-Chan! It's inappropriate!" Shinpachi yelled back only to be met with a rude, "Shut up, Glasses!".

* * *

Half an hour later, Hijikata was still searching for the Yorozuya. They hadn't been at their home; they were laying low. As the man walked by an alley, he didn't notice when a dumpster opened itself, and three pairs of eyes trailed behind him.

Gintoki, Kagura, and Shinpachi watched from their smelly hiding place. They had been silent the entire time, yet happy to still be together. When the coast was clear, Kagura turned to Gintoki.  
"We talked to that woman... She told us about who had that thingy last..." She whispered the words, and Gintoki glanced at her.  
"Yeah?" He asked, and the teens nodded.

Gintoki slowly lowered the lid of the dumpster, and sank back into his resting spot. Darkness fell over the trio, and Gintoki strained to see his friends.  
"What did you learn?" He asked, and a tense second of silence passed. Shinpachi was the first to answer. Kagura didn't want to say it.  
"It sounds like Rein..."

* * *

**A/N: Hi all! Forgive me for taking so long to update! This chapter is longer, to make up for the wait. If it seemed rushed, I apologize; it wasn't forced, this part has stumped me for a while now, that's why it took so long. Now that this is out of the way, my plans can start, and chapters should be coming out MUCH faster than this took. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter,and didn't forget the story entirely, (lol). **  
**Thank you all for your comments, they mean a lot to me, and I've taken all tips, and criticism into consideration. In the future, I plan to revise this story (I've gotten a lot of practice since I put this on hold.) If you want better quality stories about different characters, check my page. Everything else is much more organized, and ell put together. Better written over all. **  
**So far I have a Kamui, Takasugi, and new Hiji story. They're all my faves, and I hope to make this story more like them in the future. **

**Okay, so- I'll stop rambling now. Hope all is well :)**


	54. This Is a Note To The Readers

Hi all, this is not a new chapter. I started on one, but something has been bothering me lately. The time that I've taken off from this story, and my lack of inspiration for it... I have to admit that this story has had some great moments. It stretched on and on, though; losing sight of the point at times. If you haven't noticed, I've deleted the other arcs of this story.

Panic, right? No, this is a good thing. When I started this story, it was my favorite. It was the best I had done, and I thought I could get no better. It wasn't true. I have written four stories since. One about Sesshomaru (inuyasha). It came to an end, but due to high demand is back. One about Kamui- it was the first, and great while it lasted. Not many reviews, but a wonderful pair, in my opinion. Now, I have one about Hijikata, and one about Takasugi. They are by far my favorites, and proof that my writing skill has drastically changed and improved. The Takasugi story will be coming to an end soon, and it is my best by far. the Hijikata story is close in the running, and will possibly surpass that.

Now why am I telling you all of this?Why did I delete a large staple of my writing life?  
What is the point?

Well, I feel like this story was great, but I can't finish it. I had plans, which were amazing. An end already existed in my mind, but my writing has changed so much that it wont fit. To me, this story has become a burden of sorts; one that is amazing but needs to improve. So I'm going to do just that. I'm going to rewrite, and shorten the story. To improve, and reintroduce all of the best parts; to keep the original creation alive, yet give it new life. The refreshing new style that I owe to all of you readers for helping me improve with your criticism and reviews.

I hope you can understand why I'm doing this now. Please don't be angry, or feel sad, I'm not letting you down if you feel deeply for this fic (I do, so deeply...). I intend to show you my new style, so we can enjoy the new version of the story together, while keeping all the best parts :)

Thank you for your understanding and support. In the future, my updates will never grow so slow, and this story will be better. I love all you readers that have stuck this out with me and been patient; it's time for a fresh start and take on this story :)

Check out some of my others; you'll see what I mean :D


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